home is where my team is
by tentendeservedbetter
Summary: It wasn't supposed to be like this; none of them wanted to end up on the same team as one another. They were too different, too unusual. If you were to ask any one of Team 8 back then, they would agree that their team combination was a copy of their parent's team; but even then, they knew they were a family.A Team 8 Growing Up/Coming of Age story. Eventual NaruHina others
1. I Made It! My First Day as a Genin!

**A/N:I hate how little Team 8 has for fan content and canon content that I decided to write this story about them growing up as a team together and what that would involve! This is half a slice of life and a growing up story, so it might be a long ride, but I'll try my best to keep this story updated at a reasonable time!**

** There are a few things I have to include before I can continue this story- a sort of 'ground rules' as the author and a 'what to expect' for you, the audience.**

**Since this story is about Team 8 and each of the character's perspective, it will follow close to the canon material with canon divergeance in a lot of parts for the sake of development, except during Part 1 of the Naruto series; some of the extra stuff (like character introduction) is closer to the anime (because they are introduced earlier) as well as filler arcs found in Part 1.**

**I know how people feel about the fillers, but I find Part 1 fillers to be actually good to the characters, and allows us to see how Naruto and the other characters react and grow. Especially Team 8, since they are often featured in the filler arcs before Naruto leaves the Village. Of course, I don't expect anyone to watch the fillers, and I won't really cover them other than by mentioning it or exploring plots differently, but they will be crucial for this story (only concerning members of Team 8) if that makes sense.**

**Another thing is that since the characters are going to be exploring and developing throughout the years, the characters will be exploring different types of relationships; NaruHina, KibaTama, ShikaTema, SaiIno, SasuSaku are more like the for sure endgame, as found in canon (this is, I guess, part of canon divergence, but yeah). The way and when these relationships won't really follow canon because I think the timeline doesn't make sense and doesn't allow much room to see them together. This also includes exploration of sexuality, and I don't HC Team 8 as being straight! So there will be either explicit queer relationships or heavily implied relationships, not only within Team 8, but for some characters as well! So if you're gonna criticize that, just don't! You have been told!**

**I think that's all I could think of as a warning, and I don't want to take up so much space, so that's it for now. Hopefully you guys will enjoy my rendition of Team 8 growing up together and how they navigate their lives throughout their adolescent years to their adult lives!**

* * *

The metallic part of the blue headband sitting on his forehead gleamed brightly under the pale yellow lights of the bathroom as he adjusted it with a hand, staring at the rectangle mirror. It was his first time wearing it- he just had to make sure that it sat perfectly straight, for all to see.

After another few minutes of untying and retying the blue fabric around his head, he was finally satisfied with the tightness of the band as well as how his brown hair, short and spiked, was overtop. He grinned stupidly at his reflection, his red markings lifting with the smile as he zipped up his hoodie, leaving just enough space for his collarbone, protruding with the fine mesh liner on top, out.

He looked good.

_Really_ fucking good.

_Watch out Konoha!_ he thought as he flashed a pose, glancing over her shoulder towards the mirror, his index and thumb over his chin as he tried to look cool. _Kiba Inuzuka is here to stay! First Genin, and then-!_

"Kiba!" The voice of his elder sister called out from outside the door, interrupting the beginning of his monologue. "Mom said if you don't get your ass downstairs right now, she's gonna take that headband and break it in half!"

You'd think she'd learn to be nicer after Dad, Kiba thought bitterly as his smile fell, keeping the words to himself, knowing there were prying ears all around him, human and non-human.

There were many skills that the Inuzuka clan specializes in, their mastery of those techniques making them prime trackers in any reconnaissance mission and manhunt; and while animal training and handling is what they are often known for, taming even the most feral beast, there are many personal skills members can acquire that only the clan members could really hone and specialize in relating to their animal counterparts instincts. Touch, smell, hearing, you name it; if the dogs can do it, you can bet your bottom ryo than an Inuzuka can too.

Most only concentrated on honing their smelling skills, scent being one of the easiest ways to identify approaching foes and friends. Everyone and everything has a scent, and it was the most obvious identifier that people tend to overlook. Even water, scientifically known as being an odourless liquid, have distinct smells only if you can tune the chakra in your nose hard enough.

His mother, however, had not only the strongest sense of smell of the clan, an obvious trait for the leader of their clan, but she had the additional skill of having the hypersensitive hearing of a dog, honing her chakra to connect to her eardrums while keeping it up with her nose. The ability to do both at the same time is pretty outstanding, considering the amount of control you need to streamline chakra to different channels, the slightest faltering potentially leading to damage to your senses.

Kiba remembered the nights he would try to escape from home to meet up with a few boys to; he had left his sweaters and shirts with the strongest scents underneath the blanket of his bed, before attempting to slowly, and quietly, cross over the wooden floors of his room towards the window. Every single time, he tweaked his technique, eventually figuring out which boards made the most noise and mapping the perfect route, making sure it was the dead of night when everyone, including his mother, would be in deep sleep. Every single time, he would attempt to reduce the number of steps he took towards the door, making his steps more agile and fast, yet delicate, with each movement, not wasting any time.

And every single time, without fail, his mom would be waiting at the end of the road where the path splits in four. And every single time, without fail, she would kick his ass before dragging him by the ear back down the road to the house.

And every single time Kiba asked how she knew that he had escaped, she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "You're always so loud, stomping all over the floors like that! I can hear your footsteps every single time!"

In hindsight, those escapes trained him to become much more agile and calculative than he ever was before, his mother's reprimands being more of a driving force for him to be a better shinobi than to deter him. When he got his trusty ninken during the last year of the Academy, he trained him to be just as agile and strategic as him, to the point that he had eventually learned to evade his mother with his trusty sidekick.

But today was the day he turns into a man, godammit! He's officially a Genin, a full-fledged shinobi of the Hidden Leaf! He wasn't some little kid; he was an adult, an agent of his own life, and he can do whatever the hell he wanted to! There's no way he was gonna let his sister, or his mom for that matter,

Kiba opened the door much more aggressively than he intended to, but stopped it before the knob could hit the bathroom wall with a loud sound. His eyes narrowed at his sister, who had taken the position of squatting down on one knee, petting his dog, Akamaru, who usually stood valiantly while Kiba was inside the bathroom, ready to attack anyone who dares interrupt him, was wagging his little white tail happily while his tongue stuck out. Only his sister could reduce Akamaru to the cute little puppy that he was.

It annoyed Kiba to no end.

"Stop that!" Kiba said harshly at Hana, wanting to show Akamaru that he was still in command, but his voice cracked at the end, puberty not being so kind to the preteen, while Hana stood up slowly, hovering over Kiba by a good six inches, an amused smirk on her face, making the red markings on her face that were the same as his rise up as well. Akamaru immediately bounded away from Hana go Kiba's side, happily barking at him before sitting and patiently waiting for his next move.

He had assumed that she had already left for work, yet her long brown was left out, unlike in her usual ponytail she would wear, and she had no bag in sight indicating she was ready for work. She immediately plugged her nose with her hand, flinching slightly when Kiba took another step out of the bathroom, yet she maintained her stature.

"God, could you put anymore cologne?" She asked mockingly, as she wafted the air with her free hand, to dissipate the smell.

"What, why?" Kiba quickly replied defensively, while Hana shook her head.

"You smell like you doused yourself with a bottle of eau de garçon," Hana replied.

"Eau de l'homme," he corrected as he crossed his arms over his chest, trying to puff his chest out to make himself look bigger despite his sister still hovering over him. It didn't help that his sister's arms, fully exposed thanks to the white tank top she wore, were essentially the width of Akamaru's body. And his body is pretty big, but still had leaner muscles. Hers, on the other hand, were both big and filled with muscle.

The gods clearly have favourites.

"You're far from a man, kid," she mocked, lightly pinching one of his cheeks, pulling it up and down playfully. "And what you're wearing proves that."

"What's wrong with my cologne?" Kiba nearly cried as he pulled out of her fingers, the pain of her pinch leaving his cheek stinging and red.

"I swear, no matter what generation it is, preteen boys abuse cologne like it's nobody's business," Hana said with a sigh before letting go of her nose and grabbing ahold of the hood of his sweater, pulling him closer. She inhaled sharply, before asking, "When was the last time you've washed this sweater? Actually…" Another quick inhale. "When was the last time you took a bath?"

"I did this morning," Kiba lied, trying to pull away, but to no avail, his sister had unfortunately inherited their mother's iron grip and simply held on tighter without budging.

"Liar," Hana replied without missing a beat, an eyebrow raised as she tried to force her smile into a frown. "You still smell like sweat from your training yesterday. When did you actually take a bath?"

There was a slight silence between them as Kiba tried to stare his sister down, but her piercing eyes broke him and he glanced away, heat rising up his neck.

"Yesterday morning," Kiba mumbled in defeat and Hana immediately let him go, simply waiting for him to continue. His strong facade broke as easily as it came, and he couldn't help but continue in a whine, "But I jumped into the training ground river afterwards!"

"The river still carries bacteria," Hana groaned, shaking her head. "You have to take proper care of your body."

"Yeah yeah," Kiba waved off her comment as he tried to slip away down the hall so he could go to the main floor, a talk she had had with him before, but she immediately put her foot down to impede him.

"I'm serious, Kiba," Hana continued, a much more serious tone to her voice, one she rarely used unless she absolutely needed to command the room. "And your body is the only vessel you have in this life. Keeping it in tip top shape, whatever that may be, is important not only for your health, but also your line of duty as well."

"Yeah, I know," Kiba nodded along, the intensity of her voice made him uncomfortable as he shifted slightly on his feet. Hana looked at his for a moment, narrow eyes shifting over his headband to his face.

"You're now a Shinobi of the Leaf," Hana replied slowly. "You are no longer a child. And you no longer belong to yourself and to the clan anymore; you belong to the Village as well."

"_To protect and serve the Village first_," Kiba dully repeated the words he was forced to learn for his theory class, the Shinobi Rules. "_A shinobi must set aside his emotions in order to be in shape to serve and protect their village with a sound mind and a doubtless heart_."

He expected Hana to be satisfied with his words and let him get on with his day - hell, even he was surprised he still remembered that rule, being one of the longer ones from the book.

Instead, he noticed her eyes falter slightly, her eyebrows twitched inwards, as if more taken aback by his words than happy.

"Yes, exactly," she finally said, her voice sounding somewhat solemn, before her face softened as she reached over his head with a head and started mushing his hair aggressively. "Look at you, actually remembering what you learned at the Academy!"

"Stop, you're gonna mess up my hair!"

"It already looks like a mess," Hana replied before letting go. Kiba immediately ran off down the hallway, Akamaru trailing with as much speed behind him as he bounded down a flight of stairs.

"Have fun," he could hear his sister call from the top floor as he reached the end of the stairs, the bathroom door shutting behind her immediately afterwards as he smiled to himself.

I will, he thought to himself as he ran down the long stretch of hallway towards the dining room, the smell of cooked meat growing stronger with every step, enticing him and making him salivate slightly.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked as he slid the door open quickly, thought he already knew the answer just from the scent - a fresh pot of tea, omelettes with vegetables, rice fresh from the rice cooker, and a whole lot of bacon.

His mother was sitting at the opposite end of the table facing towards the door, a hand on her hip and a half of a chopstick in the other hand as something sharp grazed the side of his ear, a modest thwunk behind him from the wall. The mood of the room shifted immediately, making the hair on his neck stand up while goosebumps ran down is spine, as he froze on sight, taken aback by what had just happened. Even Akamaru started to whine, and he could see him cower his head under his tiny paws, trying to look away.

"You know the rules, Kiba," Tsume said with a growl, her voice authorative and strong. "No breakfast for people who sleep in!"

"B-but Mom-" Kiba started, but she didn't let him finish.

"Rules are rules!" She said, as she took another pair of chopsticks from the table and started to pick out the long strips of meat from the plate, streaked with crisp browned line from the pan, and onto her rice bowl. There were only three strips left on the plate. "If you don't come downstairs by the time Kuromaru is finished eating, you don't get any food!"

_He eats before I even wake up!_ Kiba cried internally as he gawked at his mother, at a loss of words. He glanced over to Kuromaru, Tsume's companion ninken, who stood straight looking out the sliding door to the backyard nearby, basking in the morning light. He looked over towards Kiba, looking ethereal in his black fur highlighted with yellow streaks of the sun, and moved his head fully to look with his left eye, the only eye that he could use, the other covered with an eyepatch. Kiba could have sworn that the old dog smirked at him, a sparkle of amusement flashing over his yellow pupils.

Kiba tried hard not to let Kuromaru get to him, but he knew the dog thought more than he would say- and right now, he was mocking Kiba for being scolded by his mother like a little pup.

"C'mon, I was busy training late last night!" Kiba exclaimed as he took another cautious step forward, ready for his mother's next move. "Today is-"

"Your first day as a Genin," Tsume interjected. "But as a Shinobi, you can't just lounge around and sleep in when you have duties to perform. When I was your age, I had countless missions where I had to wake up at the crack of down with only a few minutes of rest in order to track down enemies and-"

_Here she goes again,_ Kiba thought as he tried not to roll his eyes, the slightest. He felt that his mom always over exaggerated her experiences on the field in order to scare him into obeying, and maybe some of the things did happen? But she didn't have to do this spiel first thing in the morning. He tried to tune her out, but curse his sensitive ears- the words were still processed by his brain.

"- and you can't sleep in for mission deadlines!" Tsume finished, as she took another chopstick full of rice from her bowl, satisfied with her spiel.

Kiba watched her for a moment, glaring at her swallowing the rice, before asking in a dull voice, "...So can I eat?"

"No!" Tsume exclaimed as she slammed her chopsticks clean onto the table, a loud bang resonating from the wood.

"C'mon Mom, I'm a growing boy! I need to eat!"

"No!"

"Please Mom!" Akamaru barked, trying to show his support, and Tsume glared intently at the puppy, making him once again cower and take a step back behind Kiba's leg.

"Hush now, pup," Tsume said to Akamaru, putting her finger over her lips.

"Why are we fighting so early in the morning?" Hana called from the end of the hallway, the creaking of the floorboards growing louder as she approached the entrance of the dining room, peering through with a slight curiosity.

She looked fresh and ready for a new day, her hair pulled back with two strands left to shape her face, and opted out the tank top for a long sleeved shirt. She gave Kiba a quick smile of acknowledgment (that Kiba returned with a frown) before brushing past him towards the dinner table, slipping the messenger bag off her shoulder.

"You got a shift at the clinic today?" Tsume asked in a calmer tone as Hana took a seat at the table, nodding to her mother's question as she set her messenger bag against the leg of her seat. "Shirogane is really making you work."

"Yeah, but it can't be helped," Hana replied as she reached over to the pot of rice from Tsume, using the small white spatula to scrape the fresh rice into the bowl that sat in front of her. Kiba could feel a low growl from his abdomen, and he held onto it, trying to subdue it in front of them. "We're getting a group of new resident students today, and he wanted me to teach them. I'm going to be there more often now, so I can keep Kiba in check while you're gone on missions."

"I'm still here, you know!" Kiba exclaimed, annoyed how they both ignored him, but they continued their conversation without so much as a glance.

"Oh right, the new veterinary students you were talking about," Tsume said as she slid the plate of omelettes towards Hana, who took her chopsticks to pick it up. "Isn't Isamu's daughter in school to be a vet too?"

"Yeah, his eldest," Hana nodded as she started to mix the egg with the rice, steam still floating on top of it, mixing together into a beautiful concoction. "She only started last year, so she has a few years before I could take her under my wing, if she survives."

Tsume chuckled, as she picked up her cup of tea, saying, "She has a good head on her shoulders. She'll be fine."

"Hey, why does she get to eat!" Kiba finally interrupted their conversation, his annoyance at its peak, gesturing (but not pointing, he still wants to keep his finger) at Hana, who took a satisfying bite of her omelette rice. "She only got ready after I woke up!"

Tsume immediately slammed her cup onto the table when he finished, silence falling immediately over him.

"Hana gets to eat because she actually keeps track of time and never showed up late to a mission or her work for the past six years," Tsume said with a cautious tone. "You, on the other hand…"

She suddenly raised her hand, the other half of the chopstick she had used earlier already in her hand, steadying her arm to throw it the way she would throw a kunai.

Kiba readied himself to dodge the throw, but the chopstick never came straight his way; it zipped at an angle above him, missing him by the tip of his hair. Kiba followed the trajectory of the throw towards the wall above the doorway, and found the red wood sticking out right beside the clock that hung up there. He shifted his eyes towards the clock, looking at the hands, reading the time.

_9:30_, he read. 9:30…

"I'm late!" he yelped, and Tsume tutted as she watched her son scramble over towards his bag that sat on the side of the couch.

"It's your first day and you couldn't even get ready on time," Tsume hummed.

Hana in the meantime was eating her meal slowly, savouring the moment as she watched the two bicker. After watching Kiba chaotically try to look through his bag to make sure he had everything, she finally said, "Mom, look at him. Just let him take something for the road."

"Yeah, for the road!" Kiba agreed, slinging his bag over his shoulder quickly.

Tsume scowled at Hana, before looking at Kiba, observing him with piercing eyes. After a moment, she shook her head lightly.

"Fine. Take it and go," Tsume sighed, running a hand on the side of her brown hair, attempting to tame the spikes only to make it bounce back up. "This is the last time I'll let you eat after sleeping in!"

"Yeah!" He exclaimed as he scooped up the last three strips of bacon from the plate and ran towards the door quickly, Akamaru waiting until he passed through the frame to follow him.

When Tsume was sure he was out of earshot down the hall, she sighed while softening her face, "I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy."

"Are you going to tell him the real time?" Hana asked, and Tsume shrugged.

"Nah, he'll figure it out himself."

There was a slight pause between them as they listened to Kiba scramble about at the front, trying to find his shoes so he could leave.

"You know, looking at him be this young and become a Genin is unsettling," Hana suddenly said after swallowing another bite, pausing in the middle of picking up a piece of egg with her chopsticks as she glanced over to Tsume, who took another long sip of her tea. "It's hard to believe I looked that small when I became a Genin. I can't imagine Kiba being responsible for half the things they'll make him do."

"That's only if he becomes a Genin," Tsume replied with a slight grimace on his face. "You know who's going to be his Jonin leader?"

"I heard, but it can't be too bad for him," Hana said with a small smile, fondly remembering her first day after graduating from the Academy. "He might be spunky, but Kiba knows how to work well with others. You made sure of it."

Kiba quickly slipped on his sandals, strapping them on tightly and zipping the backside up, making sure they are securely on before he leaves. He opened the door, letting Akamaru bound out onto the small set of stairs leading down to the path towards the front gates. Once he was sure he had everything he needed, he took one last look at the mirror that hung on the wall above the shoe rack, making sure his headband sat on properly.

"I'm off!" Kiba quickly called out as he shut the door behind him before stuffing the three strips of bacon in his mouth. "Le'z gwo A'amaru!"

"Yes!" Akamaru barked in agreement and they took off side by side, the morning sun shining down on their faces as they run down the road, trying not to trip.

* * *

"Yo, Kiba! Where's the fire?"

Kiba stopped in his tracks, the heel of his foot skidding the dirt road, quickly turning over to the source of the voice that was behind him. He followed the familiar scent towards the side of the road, and saw a boy around his age continue to walk at an even pace, an easygoing grin on his face as he approached Kiba.

"Itsuki... why so ...slow?" Kiba managed asked between pants, trying to control his breathing rate as he stood still as adrenaline caught up to him. Akamaru caught up right beside him, panting with his tongue out, waiting for his next move. "Aren't we... late?"

"Nah man, we still got another hour until it's 10," Itsuki replied, his black eyebrows pulled in, confused at his friend's words. "Did you run all the way here?"

"Dude...I swear it was 9:30 when I left," Kiba replied, now his eyebrows contorting in confusion. Itsuki looked over to the watch on his right wrist, reading the hands along the plate.

"Nah, dude," Itsuki said, a grin on his face as he extended his arm, showing the watch face to Kiba, letting him read it. Indeed, the small hand was on the 9, with the smaller hand only halfway through it's round. Kiba couldn't comprehend this conflict of time, when it struck it like a pound of bricks on his head.

_She changed the clock time_! Kiba thought, eyes furrowed and gritting his teeth in anger, a little image of his mother mocking him with her laugh popping into his head. It could only make sense...the must have changed the living room clock to throw him off. He knew for a fact that he woke up on time; he gave himself plenty of time to get ready before leaving for his first day as a Genin!

Itsuki laughed at his face, the brown of his pupils twinkling with amusement. "Did your mom move the clock ahead again?"

Akamaru let out whine when he heard his words, and Kiba leaned down to pick the exhausted pup in hands, sticking him on the part where he would zip up his grey sweater, letting his hang his head and paws out. Itsuki took the opportunity to give Akamaru a pat on the head, while Kiba replied through gritted teeth, a bit flustered at having to admit it, "Yeah she did."

"Damn, go Ms. Inuzuka," Itsuki said with a light laugh as he put his hands into the front pocket of his shirt. "I'm glad my mom isn't a drill sergeant!"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved off his comment with a huff, something he hears often from his friends who have known him for so long. Tsume truly was ruthless with her rules; she even went as far as to pull this stunt on him.

Kiba walked alongside his friend, taking in what Itsuki was wearing. Now that they officially graduated from the Academy, it only made sense to wear clothes that would suit their new job. When Kiba had first met Itsuki back when he was in normal school before Shinobi school, he would often be prim and minimal, with a shirt tucked into his pants with a belt, his hair coiffed to the side in a side part as his mother liked it. Kiba's ferality has worn him down, though; he wore a deep red hoodie that warmed his tan skin with short sleeves, his blue headband fastened on his upper left arm, and black pants that went up to his knees, pockets lined on both the top and the bottom. He was wearing the grey armour mesh tights underneath, up until midway to his calves, and he trades his usual runners for black sandals. His black hair was free of any gel, spiking up in a slight slope upwards, revealing a hoop earring on his helix, a sort of present from himself to celebrate graduating from the Academy, something his mother completely disapproved of but it was too late.

Kiba had considered getting a piercing, the needle they used on Itsuki looking enticing, but he knew that Tsume and Hana would have ripped the earring off as soon as he walked through the door, both doing it for different reasons; for Tsume, it would be without asking permission, and for Hana, it would be for infection control.

"Look who's up ahead," Itsuki pointed out, and Kiba immediately looked up, noticing a different scents that was also familiar waft in the air. Kiba grinned, as Itsuki yelled out, "Natsuo! Hold up!"

Another boy around their age with ashy brown hair glanced back at them after hearing his name, his headband proudly gleaming under the sunshine.

"Yo," the brown haired boy, Natsuo, said with a lopsided grin, pulled up the sleeve of his long blue sleeve underneath his loose tank top and giving Itsuki a props. They had all been friends from before entering the Academy, thought the duo had met Natsuo a year beforehand. Despite this, he was still close to them, making up a three-quarters gang that they usually were in.

"Look at you, showing off your headband," Kiba teased as he gave a playful punch to his shoulder, before Itsuki put him a light headlock, while Kiba attacked his brown locks by ruffling them. "Save the theatrics for us, Michy!"

"Chill out!" Natsuo exclaimed with a laugh as he slipped out of the headlock, running a hand through his hair. "Oh and what, you're not showing off your headband?"

"I'm allowed to show it off," Kiba chuckled, flicking the plate of Natsuo's headband lightly, square on the Konoha symbol .

A specific scent was suddenly in the air that caught his attention, and he could feel his heart skipped a beat when he recognised it instantly. It was a soft, flowery scent, mixed with the freshness of the Konoha pines found in a certain part of town, and despite it being extremely faint, his nose was able to amplify it a bit more. He tried his best not to look around to follow the scent, instead using his eyes to quickly scanned around them. They were quickly approaching the source of the scent at the opposite side of the road, and Kiba could feel his back straighten a bit more.

"Oh oh! She's close!" Akamaru barked excitedly from inside his jacket, moving his head around to see if he could catch a glimpse of the person emitting this smell, now already in their immediate area. Kiba glanced ahead to the road, trying not to look as to not draw his friend's attention, but his eyes betrayed him as it caught sight of long purple hair, coming out of a store with a bag in hand.

"Don't look now Kiba, but I think that's your future wife," Natsuo mocking before Kiba elbowed him harshly in the side of his ribs, feeling the tips of his ears burning.

"I'm going to call her over," Itsuki snickered, and before Kiba could refuse, he yelled out, "Akane! What are you doing loitering around?"

A girl immediately looked towards them as they approached her (well, they were walking towards her, Itsuki had to drag Kiba by the arm), her brown eyes fluttering up towards them as her pink lips broke into a smile.

"I'm getting some dango," Akane replied, her voice smooth and high, as she lifted the bag up towards the boys, a hand on her hips. "You guys want some?"

"Do I?" Natsuo said as he took the bag from her hand, and perused the contents, taking out a tupperware with the dango inside, still fresh with steam.

"Ah!" Akane exclaimed immediately when she looked over at Kiba, and she took a step closer. Kiba had to stop himself from taking a step back, and refrained from holding his breath. "Akamaru! You cute little thing!"

"Pet me! Pet me!" Akamaru barked happily as Akane started to scratch the back of his ears, cooing at him.

"Stop, you're spoiling him," Kiba replied after finding his voice but didn't make her stop, allowing her to pick Akamaru in her arm as she cradled in one hand.

"But Kiba," Akane pouted at Kiba, blinking her eyes in a fluttery way. "He's so cute!"

"I am!" Akamaru barked in agreement, his tail wagging as Akane continued to rub his neck, scratching it just where he likes it.

"What the hell are you wearing, Akane?" Itsuki asked after taking a bite of dango from the tupperware, gesturing mindlessly at her clothing.

Akane's eyebrows pulled into a frown, and she scowled at the boy. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Nothing," Itsuki said with a slight shrug. "It's just weird."

"I think what Natsuo is wearing is weirder," Akane replied with an eye roll. "He's wearing a shirt over a shirt. That's stupid."

"I didn't know you were the fashion police," Natsuo scowled as Akane swiped back the bag from his hand when he reached his second dango, still balancing Akamaru in one arm.

"What do you think, Kiba?"Akane asked in a lighter voice, smiling at him as she swayed slightly. "How do I look?"

She was wearing a sleeveless faded green shirt that went up to her waist, her blue pants sitting on her hips, the mesh armour shirt covering her abdomen. So far, it was normal, though she had wrapped her hand with white bandages up until her past her wrists, despite never wearing them before and not being that keen of taijutsu, and the sleeves of her mesh armour shirt went up to her elbows. Her headplate had been taken off of the usual blue fabric and was stitched onto a black one, and hung around her neck loosely. Her sandals were a black like her headband, but there was an extra layer underneath to make her taller, though Kiba wasn't sure if it would help her with her abilities or were for show. Probably like Itsuki's earring, it was for show.

But despite this, he immediately thought that she looked, to put it frankly, _Cute as hell_.

Out of the group, Akane was the last one to join, completing the quartet when they entered the Academy. She was an outgoing girl, with a sharp mouth and equally sharp eyes, having a particular sense of humour that suited them very well. Not only that, but she was one of the cutest girls in the class, akin to the likes of two other girls in their class, a Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. But where they were failed to be cute naturally, she excelled at it incredibly - to people who didn't know her. She was hot-tempered with Kiba, persistent with her way, and while Kiba would normally not be complacent, his crush on her let her get some leeway with certain situations (plus, he was kind of into it).

They weren't dating, actually, far from it, and he wasn't even sure if it was a mutual feeling to begin with. He wouldn't mind dating her, though, and he was planning to ask her out after they got used to being a Genin. He didn't want to rush anything, knowing they had time. Right now, he was focused on being a great ninja, the likes of what his mother is, and his foremothers as well.

Kiba went with a neutral route, grinning and shrugged, "It's okay. Not as good as what I'm wearing."

Akane tried to hide her smile at his joke, giving him a slight nudge with her elbow, both hands being full, saying in a light, sugary tone, "Shut up!"

"We'll see how long you'll last in it," Itsuki said with a grin, as they continued to walk down the road, still trying to make it on time to the Academy. Akane handed back Akamaru to Kiba, who immediately placed him back in his sweater, not wanting to tire the puppy out so soon in the day. He could see Akane walk beside him, a step closer into him, but it was probably so she could see the others properly while talking.

"This is it, huh," Itsuki mumbled mindlessly, and they all looked at him curiously to continue. "We're officially Shinobi from this day on."

"Damn right, we are," Kiba said cockily, a grin on his face. "Can't wait to finally go on missions and get out of Konoha for once! Maybe even leave the Land of Fire!"

"You might not get out all that much to begin with," Akane hummed beside him, trying to keep up with their longer strides. "We'll probably get simple D rank missions around the Village or in the farmlands."

"Aw, that's right- so we won't even be fighting then!" Natsuo groaned with a frown. "What's the point of learning all this ninjutsu if we won't be using it on anyone!"

"Let's wait and see what we get," Kiba replied. "But there's no way I'm not going to be stuck with some lame missions. Isn't that right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru barked in agreement, and Akane laughed, "Hopefully we can work together!"

"Yeah, but usually D-rank missions only need three-man squads, right?" Itsuko replied lightly. "Three out of four of us might end up on one team, and the last one left is gonna end up with randos."

"It alternates a lot, it's not permanent," Kiba said, mindlessly patting Akamaru's head gently, an unconscious habit when he was was hanging off the neckline of his sweater or hoodie.

It made Kiba slightly antsy at the thought of separating from his friends since he found out this information; they have been through so much together, through the ups and downs of their Academy years, through every endurance testing to written exams. And now to potentially be separated from one another despite not needing to be made him anxious.

Kiba was an easy going guy, he knew how to make friends easily, but it was always with likeminded people. What if he had to work with someone stubborn and gets in his way? Or someone passive and won't take initiative? He worked so long with his friends that it's hard for him to imagine them separating and not working together as often.

"The least they could do is split the group in half," Kina continued light heartedly, with his usual grin. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

They made their way up the staircase to the third floor where there now old classroom was, the sound of students chattering and laughing could be heard through the closed sliding door leading into their classroom. When they walked in, the class was nearly filled with students, the right bench in the second row to the lower floor being empty.

Kiba scanned the rows of the students as they walked down the steps to the empty seats, plenty of familiar faces crowding around benches to talk to their friends. He noticed, however, the slight buzz in the air, bitter and confused glances over towards the direction of the wide windows against the other side of the room, some people whispering amongst themselves.

"Sup," Kiba greeted a group of boys nearby the entrance they walked through, at the top row of the classroom, who were also gawking towards that direction. "What's going? Why's everyone looking paranoid."

"Dudes," one of the boys said, ushering Kiba and his friends closer. "You're not going to believe this! Guess who passed the Academy exams?"

Before Kiba could ask who, he heard a familiar voice drawl out from the other side of the classroom, "Naruto, what are you doing here?"

Kiba leaned over to look at the window side of the classroom, and he saw the familiar spiky ponytail of his classmate, Shikamaru Nara, slouching over the second bench from the top of the room. He could only see another one of his classmates, the prodigious genius of his year, Sasuke Uchiha, sitting further along the bench closer to the window, but that was not who Shikamaru was talking about, no. He leaned even forward to see past Shikamaru, narrowing his eyes.

Lo and behold, in his obnoxiously orange tracksuit and spiky blond hair to match, there sat Naruto Uzumaki, class clown and world class idiot, with the biggest grin in the world as he held his headband plate with one hand, showing it off.

"This isn't a class for drop-outs, you know," Shikamaru continued, shoving his hands in pockets.

"Do ya see this Shikamaru?" Naruto said loudly and confidently, flashing the headband up and down. "See, it? It's a Konoha headband, which means I passed! From now one I'm going to be a shinobi training alongside you! Believe it!"

"I don't believe it," Itsuko said in a hushed voice, watching the spectacle before them. "I could have sworn Naruto failed."

Kiba tutted slightly, annoyed at what he was seeing. Naruto was the last person he expected to see. They were all there for the same final exam; he saw it with his own eyes, he couldn't conjure up a Clone, and when he did, it was a blanched body with no energy or Chakra whatsoever. How did he end up passing, out of the blue?

"Hey, Kiba" Akane asked, in a hushed tone, a slight grin on her face. "What if you end up working with your friend over there?"

Kiba grimaced at her words. He only hung out with Naruto for a bit, whenever they wanted to skip out of class to go to the training hall, Naruto and Shikamaru being the only ones who would be willing to do so with another one of their classmates, Choji Akimichi. Naruto and Kiba weren't friends, no, far from it; they were just acquaintances, at most, and even then it was limited to being his classmate, and those few times they skipped together. Naruto was a fun guy, he won't lie, and he knew how to goof around and have a good time; but that's all he knows what to do. At some point, his slack in ninjutsu and fooling around got old real quick- Kiba had to detach himself from being associated with him, not wanting to be pulled down with him. It didn't help that he was an easy target for many to make jokes about; Kiba didn't want to put in the spotlight with him, he still had pride.

It doesn't matter, Kiba thought. I'll be fine as long as I don't have missions with him!

Before he could reply, the door they had entered suddenly slid open with a loud bang, and the sound of angry struggle was heard.

"Move Billboard Brow!"

"Shut up Ino-pig!"

Kiba looked over at the door, and could feel his temples stinging immediately. Great, more annoying people…

Two girls, one with long pink hair flowing and one with long blonde hair in a ponytail, tumbled through the doorframe in unison, luckily landing on their feet. Two girls, stood in place for a moment, sweat dripping down their flushed faces, panting hard as they leaned on their knees.

"Not bad, Sakura," the blonde girl managed to say between pants, not bothering to look at her companion.

The pink haired girl managed to smirk crookedly, but was panting equally as hard, and she said, "I told you Ino...I'd beat you."

He heard Natsuo let out a low whistle, and Kiba could see Natsuo staring at the two girls, eyes ogling at the blonde girl, Ino Yamanaka. He elbowed him to draw his attention away, and said in an annoyed tone, "What are you, a pervy old man?"

"Can't I check them out, dude?" Natsuo mumbled back to for only his ears, annoyed at Kiba policing him, and Kiba rolled his eyes.

The pink haired girl, Sakura Haruno, ran across the top floor towards the stairs that led in between the benches along the window wall and the centre benches. Ino followed right behind her, stopping at a step above her, pushing Shikamaru back away from the second row bench near the window. Kiba could feel a grin on his face, and he settled a bit on his spot, waiting.

"This ought to be good," Itsuki said, knowing full well what was going to happen, and they all watched with anticipation.

Naruto attempted to get up from his seat to greet them, but before he could a 'hey' out of his mouth, Sakura pushed him aside, saying as she pointed at the empty space between Sasuke and Naruto, "Hey Sasuke, is anyone sitting there?"

From the distance, Kiba couldn't see Sasuke reaction, but he knew the name was like opening a floodgate; the moment the Uchiha prodigy was mentioned in any vicinity, you could be sure there would be a group of girls that would gather around him, vying for his attention. Kiba could admit it himself, Sasuke was a pretty boy, with jet black hair and side bangs shaping his face, and onyx eyes that gave him an air of mystery, his face more chiselled and refined than the average boy their age. That's not to say Kiba was jealous of the attention Sasuke receives, no, far from it; he doesn't know how Sasuke goes about his life and training without a flock chasing after him, and he knew he wouldn't survive if he were Sasuke.

Speaking of a flock, there was one forming around Sakura right now, her question triggering other girls from their class to gather near the bench, forming a chain to keep one another out.

"Listen up, forehead!" Ino said, with a clenched fist, being one of said girls who like Sasuke. "I walked into the classroom before you, so I get to sit next to Sasuke first!"

"Actually, I was here before either of you," another girl said, crossing her arms over her chest. "So I get to sit next to Sasuke!"

"No way, I was here before all of you!" Another girl piped in. "If anything, I should sit next to Sasuke."

"Don't you want to fight for a spot next to Uchiha?" Kiba whispered to Akane, who let out a small chuckle.

"Maybe you should try," she replied with a small wink, making his heart skip a beat, as the group of girls started to argue loudly with one another. Suddenly, there was a silence over the group of girls as they turned their attention from one another back to the bench.

Kiba could see what they were staring at, and he was surprised to see it as well; directly in front of Sasuke, on top of the table, was the spunky blond squatting down to be face-to-face with the raven-haired boy. Tension filled that area immediately as Naruto glared at Sasuke, and Kiba could only assume that Sasuke was returning the look with as much intensity.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed angrily, fists clenched up in front of his chest. "What are you doing to Sasuke!"

"That idiot," Kiba said, eyes never leaving the scene. "Is he trying to pick a fight right now?"

Before the girls could start yelling at Naruto, there was another hush that fell over them a few gasps amongst the crowd. Even the kids who weren't paying attention to them looked with wide eyes, mouth agape at what they saw.

Kiba was taken aback too, but his grin widened even more at the spectacle, trying to supress the mocking laugh that swelled up in his stomach. A boy in the row in front of Sasuke was moving his arms around, and his elbow landed square onto Naruto's back, pushing the blond forward unwilling and…

Made his lips lock with Sasuke's.

Tension in the room flared, and the rest was expected; the flock of girls, with their menacing glares and cracking their knuckles, ganged up on Naruto and well...let's just say the poor guy got a few bruises here and there.

"What a dumbass," Akane said mockingly. "He got it coming to him."

As if the gods were just waiting for this to happen, the door at the front of the classroom slid open, and entered their now ex-homeroom teacher, Iruka Umino, with a folder under his arm, wearing his usual attire of the long blue sleeved shirt underneath his faded green Chunin vest. He looked at the students with a confused look, the group of girls still flocking around Sasuke and Naruto now lying along the stairs, the light scar across the bridge of his lifting with his scrunched up nose.

"What happened here?" Iruka asked, and the group immediately replied with a quick 'nothing!' before dissipating. Sakura had managed to shimmy her way next to Sasuke during the disorder, while Naruto got up quickly at Iruka's voice, clamouring up into the seat.

Iruka didn't buy their word, but he didn't press on, and he looked towards the rest of the classroom, with a slight smile growing on his face. He continued, "It looks like everyone is here! Can you all please take your seats!"

The students did not hesitate to take their places along the benches immediately, the previous tension that was in the room now replaced with excitement. Kiba slipped into one of the benches, and Akane sat beside him, with Natsuo and Itsuki following suite. He picked Akamaru out of his jacket and placed him on top of his head, as to not squeeze him against the table.

Iruka walked up to the desk in front of the chalkboard, setting down his folder, and waited for the classroom to settle into silence for him to begin.

"From this day forward, you are no longer Academy student, but shinobi of the Leaf," Iruka said with a light voice, shifting his gaze between the students. "However, you are only at the level of Genin, a junior ninja, and there your journey of being excellent ninja is still ahead of you. Soon you will all be able to take missions for the Village. But due to you being brand new shinobi, we will be putting you in 3-man squads, with each team having a Jonin sensei to guide you!"

_What?!_ Kiba thought, his eyebrows drawing in closer as he slightly shook one of his legs up and down impatiently, leaning onto the table. T_hey're **assigning** us to teams?!_

"You will have to follow your sensei's orders in order to complete your missions," Iruka continued with the same smooth rhythm. He picked up the folder and opened it, holding it in one hand. "We tried to balance each team's strength and weaknesses to form an equal squad with various members."

"What!" A few kids shouted at the same time, Natsuo joining as well, and the class went into a slight frenzy.

"Aw man, we're being assigned into teams?" Itsuko said with a slight huff. "What if Iruka-sensei splits the group? What if he only puts three of us in a team and leaves one in a group of randos?"

"I hope not," Akane mumbled. "You think he'd do that?"

"Nah, he would only split it half and half," Kiba said with a slight wave of his hand. "Iruka-sensei wouldn't do us like that."

Would he? Maybe he would split their group up, considering that they were being split to make the powers equal. Maybe it's to combine their different skills to have an optimal team situation.

"Settle down, everyone," Iruka said in a louder voice to overpower the chatter and everyone stopped talking, though the glaring faces still remained. "This is so that team would be well balanced and have optimal chance of completing missions! They were already premade, so there is no way to change your assigned teams."

The classroom was filled with groans, but nobody objected. When Iruka was satisfied with their silence, he looked down to his folder, and said, "Now, I'll call out each team number and the members of that squad. First up...Team 1!"

"God, I sure hope I don't end up with Naruto," Kiba heard Itsuko said in a hushed voice as Iruka continued down the list, and Kiba nodded along. _Anyone but Naruto._

"Next up is Team 6," Iruka said, and Kiba could see Iruka's eyes flicker up towards their group before returning to the paper. "Akane Moritaka...Itsuko Akabane…"

_C'mon, Iruka-sensei, split it in half,_ Kiba prayed in his mind, keeping his eyes planted on Iruka as he started to call out the last name.

"And Natsuo Hirota."

Kiba could feel a weight over his shoulders when he heard the last name called. He gritted his teeth slightly, feeling overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.

Great...he's the one who's going to end up with randos.

"Kiba..." Akane started, leaning over to him, but Kiba just smiled at her, not wanting any sympathy.

"It's cool," he said courtly, leaning into his arms as he did before, maintaining his voice level. "There has to be a reason they made that team."

"Let's hope you got a good team," Natsuo said in a hushed voice.

"Team 7," Iruka continued, paying no heed to any whispered words. "Sakura Haruno...Naruto Uzumaki."

Kiba could see Naruto clenched in fist in a happy motion, a stupid grin on his face while Sakura banged her head ontop of the table, misery surrounding her like a cloud. He crossed his fingers.

_Please don't put me on their team...please don't put me on their team..._

"And...Sasuke Uchiha." Now it was Sakura's turn to smile brightly, Naruto banging his head on top of the table. Kiba grinned, happy he dodged a bullet.

Before Iruka could continue, Naruto got up from his seat, and proclaimed in his whiny, loud voice, "Sensei! Why does an outstanding shinobi like me have to end up with that guy!?"

Iruka stared at Naruto for a second, before his eyebrows pulled into a frown, and he placed his hands on his hips, leaning forward as if talking to a child.

"Because Sasuke's grades were the best of all 27 graduates," Iruka started with a cool voice. "And yours was dead last. We have to balance out the teams, remember? You do understand, right?"

Snickers ran through the classroom, and before Naruto could sit down, Sasuke said in the lowest of voices, "Just don't get in my way...dead last."

Kiba had to stifle his laugh as Naruto readied himself to fight Sasuke with a yell, Sakura having to stand up to push him down into his seat.

_This team is a mess_, Kiba thought to himself as Iruka-sensei told them to settle down, taking a few more minutes for Naruto to actually sit down and instead glare at Sasuke. _How are they going to go on missions if all they do is argue?_

"Okay, moving on," Iruka said with a slight sigh, looking at his clipboard. "For Team 8… Kiba Inuzuka."

_Please let me have someone good on my team._

"Hinata Hyuuga. And Shino Aburame."

Kiba could really feel the weight increasing over him as his jaw opened slightly gaped at the names Iruka called out. He could hear all his friends giggle and chuckle, and he turned to glare at them.

"You got the two weirdos," Natsuo whispered to Kiba. "Nice one, Kiba!"

"Shut up," Kiba hissed, as he started to scour the classroom, looking for the faces to the names Iruka called out.

He spotted Hinata Hyuuga almost immediately, her sitting in the back row as she often did, alone with no one near her, with her short deep blue bangs covering her forehead, her forehead protector around her neck, almost covering her chin. The oversized wooly jacket she wore hung over her, and she didn't look up, staring at a spot on her desk with her big, white eyes, and fidgeting her index fingers together.

Harmless and shy, she wouldn't willingly hurt a fly, and everyone in the class knew it; they didn't understand why she was in the Academy to begin with, her benign ways counteracting the shinobi lifestyle. It was her revered Hyuuga name, the ones with the fame Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan, that forced her to be a shinobi. But even then, as the so-called 'princess' of the clan, Kiba would have assumed that the clan wouldn't let her out of her sight and wouldn't enroll her as a field shinobi- either she had no fear of being hurt or her clan didn't care whether she died. He wouldn't bet on the first option.

He continued to look, and near the front, on the bench on their aisle, was the boy they called Shino Aburame, all alone with no one around, the rest of the classmates sitting there keeping a good amount of space between them and the boy. Kiba couldn't see his face, only his coiled, tall brown hair being seen poking out of a light grey trench coat that covered half his face and nearly went passed his wrists loosely.

Hinata, he's fine with, her silence and fidgeting being weird, though not being a big deal for him, but Shino was a different issue. He was a weirdo and everyone knows it; he wasn't loud or outgoing, he didn't talk for the most part, and he always wore those black sunglasses indoors and outdoors, never revealing his eyes.

The only time Kiba ever interacted with Shino was when he was playing football with his classmates, and he was ready to kick the winning goal, when Shino told him to stop. He did stop, mostly by surprise because it was the first time he heard Shino speak, and he wasn't expecting his voice to be as loud as it was, and Shino walked up towards the ball, leaning down to pick up…

A ladybug. A tiny, red ladybug, that had flown on top of the ball and would have literally been apart of the winning goal if Kiba kicked the ball. Shino picked the bug up, and said in a low voice to Kiba, without ever looking at him, "Watch what you do next time. You almost hurt an insect because of your lack of perception."

And with those words, Shino walked off the field towards a tree, never turning back, and leaving Kiba frozen in confusion, before it was replaced with anger. Confusion over the entire interaction, and anger because of how Shino called him a dumbass for not using his eyes. Kiba wanted to argue with him, but he didn't know what to say- and Itsuko had told him to let Shino be Shino, and to just ignore him, he does these types of things often.

_Out of all the people in the world, why these two though?!_ Kiba cried to himself as he buried his head into his folded arms, careful not to tip too far and make Akamaru fly off his head. _Bug boy and the quiet girl- do the gods hate me or something?!_

"Team 10," Iruka's voice broke his thoughts, and he glanced back up to the.

"Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru Nara. Choji Akimichi."

Kiba could hear the blonde girl's cry of pain at her name being read along with the two other boys from across the room. At least he was not the only one who had a problem with his squad assignment.

After Iruka went through the rest of the list, he finally finished by saying, "The Jonins should be arriving this afternoon. In the meantime, we'll have a break. Make sure to be back by 1 o'clock sharp!"

"Yes sensei," Kiba mumbled with the rest of the students as they got up from their seats, trying his best not to break face as he stood up and bowed with the rest of the class.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! I don't expect Kiba to really hang out with the rest of the Rookie 9 until after he graduates, so that's why I came up with a few of new OCs :^) They may or may not reappear later huehue**

**BTW, the reference Kiba made with Natsuo...Michy is one of the actors in the first Naruto movie when they had to protect the Princess/actress from the Land of the Snow**


	2. Let's All Try To Get Along

If he were to be one type of insect from the many flourishing ones on their land, he would be the Tenodera aridifolia - or a oo-kamakiri- a species of mantis that are native to the hills of the Land of Fire and stretches their grasp all the way to the river streams of the mountainous terrain of the Land of Earth.

With their varying shades of yellow-green to brown coat that helps them blend into the surrounding grass and sticks, the oo-kamakiri are renowned ambush predators amongst the insect class, known for not only their ferocity and ability to take down prey larger than themselves, but also their patience and perception that allows them to capture their target. Their large eyes allow for them to as well as their sharp sense of sight allows for the oo-kamakiri to detect their prey from a long distance, detecting them before the prey could detect them. They did not attack as quickly as most predators do, no; the oo-kamakiri take their time hunting their prey, waiting patiently and slowly approaching it, without giving the slightest hint of their presence, until they are close enough to attack their prey swiftly and mercifully in one swoop.

And while he would not consider himself ferocious, - far from it actually, he thinks he's more forgiving than cruel-he does consider himself to be patient and perceptive, with a knack for recognizing and discriminating details pertinent to what a mission would call for.

Yes, if Shino were an insect, he would be a oo-kamakiri.

So how did an oo-kamakiri such as himself, with his patience and quiet nature, end up in a team with a boisterous and precarious grasshopper such as Kiba Inuzuka?

**The first stage of grief: denial.**

It must be a joke from the gods, right? Was Abura-Hime, their clan's matron goddess, looking down at him from the heavens and decided that his fate was a road of unrest, with no peace to look forward to during his Genin days?

His list of classmates did not want to be part of a team with was long, with Naruto Uzumaki being one of the top of his list, but he ended up someone just as boisterous, if not, more so than Naruto, reaching the number one spot.

Kiba Inuzuka was what Shino liked to call "a problem child". And not a problem child, as in he had trouble keeping up with classes or have trouble communicating properly with others and come off as rude, no, not the mislabelled type. Kiba was more than able to communicate- and that's where the problem lies. He was a troublemaker, through and through, with a mouth to match this, always causing a problem or two in class. He communicates too much, and he talks way too much for Shino's liking. He was a brash, proud boy with a loud mouth, and he didn't know when to stand down. He didn't have a lick of patience in that tiny body of his, and he certainly lacked perceptive finesse required for a ninja.

And did Shino mention that the Inuzuka is really loud?

**The second stage of grief: anger.**

He clenched his fists slightly, trying really hard not to shake as he could hear the vortex of judging whispers, all directed towards him when his name was called out. Kiba Inuzuka is on the same team as the bug freak? How hilarious, they whispered, that Kiba, one of the coolest kids in their class, ended up with a weirdo like Shino!

Sure, Shino was used to being called weird. He knew he wasn't like most of the kids in his class, hell, he embraced his differences long time ago. But now his weirdness wasn't his own, for himself to claim and relish in; it was now a pity party for the young Inuzuka.

He had to keep calm. His emotions influenced the insects within him, and the anger and frustration he was feeling would only infuse them with anger, making them jump around within his nest of a body, and only making him more anxious and frustrated. This is what happens when you have a symbiotic relationship with another kind; it was not only advantageous relationship, but also a bilateral one, where if something were to happen to one, it would also affect the other. Emotions were no exemption to this rule; which is why he needs to maintain face, or else risk making the insects go berserk.

The only saving grace he could find from this team dynamic is the fact he was also paired up with an equally quiet classmate, Hinata Hyuuga. Though she is more of a pacifist than Shino would have liked, he knows that it would be easy for him to train alongside her, their temperaments quite alike from the years he studied alongside her.

"The Jonins should be arriving this afternoon," Iruka said after closing the folder shut, at the end of the list. "In the meantime, we'll have a break. Make sure to be back by 1 o'clock sharp!"

As they all stood to bow to Iruka, Shino had already been through the first two stages; and right now he was entering the third stage of grief. He pushed up his black, circular frames, his mind going into strategy mode.

**The third stage of grief: bargaining.**

While the rest of the class started to file out of the benches to get to the door or find a part of the classroom to eat their lunches in peace, Shino made a beeline straight towards Iruka, who had started to leave the classroom through the bottom floor's door. He quietly jumped through a few steps, avoiding touching anyone in his path, and he tried his hardest not look back to the top floor when he heard a familiar howling laugh from his now teammate.

Iruka was already going the opposite way down the hall towards the teacher's lounge on that floor, and Shino sped up his pace, trying to get close enough to use his normal voice. Shino was a boy on a mission; he needed to use the element of surprise if he wanted this bargaining to go his way.

"Iruka-sensei," Shino started once he was right by Iruka, who jumped slightly at his sudden appearance, but he quickly straightened himself out when he turned around.

"Shino," Iruka said kindly in his usual subdued tone, with a smile on his face. "What can I do for you?"

This is it. He had already prepared two arguments right after recovering from hearing the names of his new teammates that he could present that could potentially make sure Shino does not end up in a team with Kiba. Argument A would be to ask Iruka if he could switch spots with another team member; that way if he needed to give a reason, he could say that he feels that Team 8 would benefit from having a different team member. Maybe someone who is better with Taijutsu, as both his teammates are, and could balance out the team in that way.

And if that fails... there is always Argument B.

"I just have an issue," Shino started as slow as he often does, in a calm manner. "With the team assignments."

Iruka's eyebrows slightly pulled in, but he attempted to stay open to the conversation. After all, this is Shino who was asking him about this; if it were someone out more audacious, he would have shut them down right away. "Oh?"

"I don't think I belong on Team 8," Shino continued, right to the point. "I don't believe that my abilities would suit a team that is more orientated to Taijutsu, which I am not the best at. I feel that I would hinder my teammates potential to grow into their own talents. Is it possible for me to switch with someone else and go into a team so that Team 8 would have someone suited for their abilities?"

It was much more literal to the point than most would expect it, and much more detailed than needed, but Shino did not have time for Iruka to ask questions for Shino to elaborate himself on why he feels this or that way. Time was of the essence, and this was a time sensitive matter.

"You know that I can't do that," Iruka said softly, shaking his head slightly. "These team assignments were premade considering everyone's abilities in mind. And if I were to change the teams at your request, everyone else would want to do the same and the teams would be uneven."

Time for Argument B.

"Of course," Shino said. "But, then, wouldn't it be better if…"

_I wasn't with Kiba, specifically._

"There were more like minded people on a team? Wouldn't that make learning more efficient for not only the Jonin teachers, but for us Genins as well?"

Argument B: Turn it around and point out that Team 8 would be more cohesive without the rowdy Inuzuka. Imply that Hinata and him (but mostly him) would be better off learning alongside someone quieter like them.

Iruka looked at him for a moment, arms crossed over his chest, observing Shino for a moment. It's rare for Iruka to hear Shino say this much at once during his entire time teaching the young boy- besides the info dump the boy would give when prompted about insects. Iruka was the only teacher that willingly talked to Shino without Shino going to him first, taking an interest in his hobbies, and letting him do his own learning, without the constant helicoptering many teachers have done to him before. Iruka knew that Shino didn't talk that much to begin with and he definitely didn't ask questions often, especially not in a row; Shino hoped that this would be enough to convince his now old teacher to consider switching the teams around.

"Shino," Iruka started after a pause, still in the ever gentle voice he used with students. "I understand that your team may seem disjointed at first. And I know you're mostly saying this because Kiba is in your team."

_Shoot._ He thought he was more subtle than that.

"But like I said before," Iruka continued, keeping his eyes fixed on his. "We took into consideration all 27 graduates skills, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, and put you all together to make the team even in skills. We also do this to form optimal teams with the combinations given. Besides; your teammates are more alike than you would assume they are."

"I'm nothing like Kiba," Shino said courtly. He didn't need to explain himself further. Everyone with a head would know what he meant.

Iruka looked like he wanted to say something; something very specific, like the secret to why they were placed together and why he was convinced that they were alike. Instead, he let out a slight sigh, and said, "If it helps put your team into perspective; your team was specifically handpicked by the Third Hokage."

Shino blinked in surprise, though it was hidden behind the black glasses. Of course, the Hokage had to have a word or two about the team rosters, it only made sense; but handpicked his team?

Iruka continued, cautiously, "I'm sure the Third had his reasons for assembling your team the way it is."

But what are those reasons, Shino wanted to ask, but no words left his mouth. Iruka wasn't going to budge; he knew he wasn't going to budge. A sudden swept of melancholy hung over him like a dark cloud over the realisation that no matter how much he could argue, there was no way to sway the results. What's done is done.

**The fourth stage of grief: depression.**

"If it would help," Iruka spoke up suddenly, Shino silence and blank stare a cry for help. "You have this break to get to know your teammates. Why don't you go ahead and meet with them? Maybe you can get to know them better before you meet your sensei?"

"...Perhaps," Shino said dully after a moment, and Iruka smiled softly.

"You never know how you would get along with your teammates until you get to know them as such," Iruka said. "It's worth a try- what do you have to lose?"

_My sanity._

Shino nodded slightly, knowing the conversation was as good as over. "Nothing, I assume."

"Nothing indeed," Iruka said nodding with him. He then leaned in, and said in a low voice, for only Shino to hear, "Shino, as a Shinobi, you have to be adaptable to any situation. And that includes adapting to the different people that you work with. The same goes for them too; all of you have to adapt to one another as you continue to train."

He didn't understand why Iruka was saying this, particularly in the hushed voice he made, but he just nodded. "I'll try."

Iruka gave him one last smile, a soft, melancholic type this time, Shino noted from the way his eyebrows were slightly curved in, but he simply said, "I know you will."

He bid Shino a 'I'll see you around', and waited for Shino to walk away to the opposite side from where Iruka was going.

Shino stood in front of the door leading into the classroom, and paused his hand over the handle. He started to shallowly breath, concentrating on his ears, to see if there were any more traces of someone inside the classroom, any laughter or talking or screaming.

There was nothing.

He wasn't sure if anyone wanted to stick around in that classroom any longer- it was a remnant of their time as a student, afterall, and now they were full fledged shinobis, they were no longer restricted to the Academy grounds.

How was he going to get to know his new teammates if none of them were still there, though? He wasn't sure how to track them down - he wasn't sure if he really wanted to track them down though - and his insects would not be of any use because they were not familiar with their scents.

Shino opened the door to the classroom slowly, and flitted his eyes around the room quickly. As he presumed, there was no one left-

No wait, there was one person left.

There sat Hinata Hyuuga, on the top floor bench near the window, with a pair of chopsticks in hand hovering over what he assumed was a bento box, wide eyes looking directly at Shino.

When she saw Shino look at her with a quick lift of the head, she quickly looked away, as if flustered at his sudden movement, sinking into the oversized jacket she wore.

For the first time, Shino started to feel something that he hadn't felt since he was the ripe young age of 7.

Panic.

He didn't know what to say, and he felt like a spotlight shone directly on top of him, making his mind draw a blank. A million sentences swirled in his mind, buzzing about like the insects that were within him, bouncing off the walls of his cavity as a response to this onset of adrenaline. Lady Abura, why was talking to people so hard? It was so much easier to talk to insects, they would just listen and not talk back, they don't ask too many questions, and they're much more interesting than humans would ever be.

_Breathe_, he said to himself, taking a deep breathe, as he started to walk across the floor towards the set of stairs that would lead him to the bench Hinata sat on. _Just say a simple 'hi' and 'how are you'. Yes, that should be a good conversation starter._

Once he reached up the stairs, he stood on the stairs that led into the bench, not entering and allowing space to be between Hinata and him. Hinata watched him questioningly and cautiously, as if she didn't know what to say to him either. There was a beat between them, and Shino opened his mouth after another breathe.

"Hi are you."

_Fuck._

The first time he's willingly talking to someone from his class and the first time he actually was talking to Hinata besides whatever class activity they were forced to do together, and he already fucked up one line.

This was going to be a disaster.

Hinata didn't bat an eye, however, and she instead immediately said in a soft, small voice, "I-I'm good! How are you doing, Shino?"

"I," Shino started, wanting to say badly 'I am not good', but knowing that this is common courtesy, he said, "I am good."

There was another pause as Hinata waited for him to continue, but again, Shino was drawing a blank, the panic still settling in and he could feel his heart beating faster and is his hands clammy or is that just him-

"U-um," Hinata started as she set her chopsticks on the handkerchief that was beside her bento box, and instead started fidgeting with her two index fingers, glancing over at Shino. "So, Shino...what are you having for lunch?"

"Ah," Shino replied slowly. "I didn't pack anything today, but I'm not that hungry."

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked, before abruptly paused, as if surprised that she was talking. She glanced around a bit, before landing on her bento box, a relatively tall and large square made of deep brown wood, and continued, "I have enough for two, i-if you'd like some."

"Thank you for the offer," Shino replied smoothly, shaking his head slightly. "But I wouldn't want to impose; I see I interrupted you in the middle of eating-"

"Oh no, it's fine, really! I never end up finishing my bento boxes," Hinata said with a soft smile, as she started to shift down the bench towards the edge where Shino continued to stand nearby, bringing along her bag and lunch. "My...grandmother always insists that I eat more, but sometimes she goes a little overboard."

Grandmothers...there's something he can relate with her. The only one he grew up with was his father's mother; from what he remembered, she was an aloof woman, who was apparently quite the terrifying insect-user in her generation. To him she was sweet grandmother, always allowing him to engage with her and show him the insects he had caught in the backyard. And she had quite the habit of feeding Shino copious amounts of food whenever he had to stay with her while his father was away on a mission.

Shino looked over the food Hinata had. There was the usual rice mixed with chopped carrots and edamame in the bigger portion that Hinata had only managed to get through one-third of. There was a salad in the corner, of spinach and tomatoes, and then there was a portion of natto separate from it. It didn't seem all that much, though it was more than enough for one person to eat; but then Hinata lifted the box, revealing a second layer underneath, with a row of omelettes in segments and even more rice filled to the brim, with steamed vegetables tucked into any empty corner. Even Shino, who eats relatively lightly, couldn't finish this, he doubts Hinata could either.

Shino then asked, gesturing towards a corner of the dish, "Do you like natto?"

"No," Hinata said in a stronger voice, the first time he had ever heard her refuse adamantly that even he was surprised, but she caught herself, and glanced away, mumbling,"I-I mean, I don't really…"

"Because," Shino continued after she trailed off, seeing an opportunity. "I don't mind having it."

That was a lie. That was the biggest lie he has ever told thus so far; natto was the last thing he wanted to have, its pungent smell (and really, any strong smelling foods) making him feel nauseous, but he couldn't help but say that. Why would he lie, unless he really wanted Hinata to get along with him?

Rarely did he talk to people. Rarely did he try to make friends. Other people were too different for him, it was hard for him to understand why they did certain things when there are other ways. He never made the effort during his years in school, and he never had plans to do it as a shinobi. He wanted to keep his relationships strictly professional; there's no point in making friends with people, they wouldn't understand, they always saw him as being too off without knowing him.

But at that moment, he could see himself very much willingly talk to Hinata, even outside of training. And that was something he hadn't felt in a long time...

"Hinata," Shino spoke up suddenly, feeling something in him pushing him to ask something of her, a first for anyone. Hinata looked up to him with curious eyes, as he continued after a hesitant pause, "Do you want to go to the rooftop? The weather is nice outside and..."

Oh Abura-Hime, he's terrible at this, he could hear how his voice inflected in an odd way that made his rhythm sound off, and he didn't realise his sentence has tapered off until a second after he stopped. But Hinata didn't seem to notice how awkward he had asked his question, with pauses in between.

Instead, she smiled softly, and shook her head up and down slightly, making her bangs bounce along, as she said in a bit of a louder voice, "Yes, that would be nice."

* * *

"So, you don't actually like natto? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Hinata asked, concern in her voice as she tried to suppress her amused smile, as she waited for Shino to swallow a few gulps of water from the water bottle she had offered him when he had unwittingly started to cough uncontrollably, bordering choking.

"I...don't know," Shino admitted after taking a break from the water, his voice groggy and low.

They had made their way to the rooftop and found a bench underneath a shaded shelter that allowed them to look over the Village from where their Academy sat. They're conversation started off as fragmented, one asking the other questions in odd intervals, but Hinata didn't seem to mind. If anything, she was enjoying herself with what Shino had to say, feeling comfortable enough to start talking longer and longer. He had always thought that he was too blunt and too dull, that conversations would be hard for others to keep up with, but she listened to him with her full attention, even seeming fascinated whenever he spoke of himself. The conversation prior to his now choking incident were on the topic of hobbies they had beside training their respective clans ninjutsu, before Hinata remembered that Shino had not eaten yet.

He regretted lying to Hinata about liking natto, not expecting her to actually insist he eats something for lunch (specifically the natto, like he said he would), and he ended up swallowing the whole thing in one bite, not wanting to take in the taste or smell longer than he needed to. He underestimated his own senses though, and he started to feel nauseous as he chewed and swallowed quickly, almost gagging on the fermented beans.

"You're already sharing your lunch with me, and I didn't want to refuse what you offered."

"Oh Shino, it's no problem, really," Hinata said, shaking her head, placing the lunch box between them on the bench they sat on. "Take whatever you like. I'm not going to force you to have something."

"It's okay, really," Shino said, finally looking at her after taking a few deep breaths, repressing his churning stomach as he tried to have a calmer voice. "I didn't even taste it. And I'm already full."

"Didn't you grow up eating natto, though?" Hinata asked curiously, as Shino straightened himself out by pushing his glasses back up and straightening his back.

"No," Shino replied. "My own grandmother never forced me to eat it, because she knew I don't like foods that have a strong scent. I don't know why, but I feel weird when I try to eat something that has a strong scent, so I avoid eating anything like natto."

"Do you like eating sweets, then?" Hinata pressed on softly.

Shino simply stared at her for a second. For such as quiet girl, she can actually hold a conversation better than he had expected. Maybe she had difficulty getting over the first part of having a conversation: starting one.

"Depends on the sweets, but I mostly like eating fruits," Shino said. "Because it's not too sweet for my liking."

"O-oh," Hinata replied, as she fidgeted with her fingers, glancing away bashfully. "I see…"

Now it was Shino's turn to ask the question, not understanding why she said what she did. "Why do you ask?"

Hinata glanced around a bit, as if contemplating what to do, her hands hovering over her lap and towards her bag a few times. She finally made up her mind, and she pulled her bag onto her lap, zipping open the pocket to reach in. As she rummaged around, she spoke, "I-I actually stopped by the convenient store and, uh, I just g-got something, so I thought maybe y-you would want some..."

He heard plastic wrap crumpling as she pulled her hand out, nearly dropping what she had but she caught it with her other hand before it fell to the floor. Her cheeks started to flush pink by the slip of her hand, and she nervously squeaked as she squeezed the plastic in her hand.

Shino looked at what she held in her hands as she started to stumble over her words. Inside the square plastic packaging, there was a single cinnamon bun, a warm brown puffed bread coated in powdery cinnamon and a layer of translucent icing. The package was still warm from the time she had bought it, from the look of the icing glistening inside and the light cloudy film surrounding the bun.

"A cinnamon bun," Shino noted, and Hinata stopped fidgeting about, but never looked at him.

"I-If you'd like, we can split it half. B-but, since you don't like sweets, it's fine…I'd just feel weird eating this alone…but it's fine if you don't want it..."

Shino didn't reply right away. He didn't get it; she clearly wanted the whole thing, but she was still willingly sharing her dessert. Not only that, but her lunch as well; albeit, it was a lot for her to eat, she didn't need to share with him.

They weren't even friends. They never really talked before today. They were forced to be on a team together. Why was she being so nice to him? They're from the same class, she knows how the other kids ridicule him behind his back, and yet she's being very kind to him.

Why wasn't she weirded out by him?

"Sure," Shino simply said, a hand slightly extended out, as Hinata stopped glancing around and looked at him for a second. She quickly opened the packaging without hesitation, splitting the cinnamon bun in half.

She gave him the bigger half.

As they ate the bun, there was a silence that settled in between them. But it wasn't like the first few pockets of silence that swelled earlier in their conversation, taking up room and making them feel uncomfortable; it was a nice silence, like they didn't really need to rush what they were doing or saying to save themselves from embarrassment.

It was different.

It was nice.

Her kindness wasn't demonstrative; it was genuine concern for others wellbeing.

Something that Shino wasn't used to doing.

The bell from the Academy suddenly rang, indicating another hour was going to pass, a warning type, and they counted the amount of times the bell rang. It only rang once.

"We should get heading back," Shino noted, as Hinata started to close her bento box with a lid, tying a handkerchief around it in a neat square.

After she packed everything into her bag, they both made their way down the stairs to their old classroom in comfortable silence.

* * *

They didn't see Kiba until a couple of teams had already left with their Jonin-sensei, thirty minutes after when they were supposed to meet. He casually walked in with the rest of his usual group, laughing and joking about while getting a seat behind the rest of the students, not bothering to look at Shino or Hinata, who sat next to each other near the front row.

Or, he tried not to look over- Shino could tell from the corner of his eye that he was glancing over here and there, trying not to make himself look obvious.

"Oh," Hinata whispered when she noticed Kiba sitting further away from them. "Do you think we should call him over?"

"Don't bother," Shino replied without skipping a beat, his eyes narrowing at the thought of Kiba. "He knows we're here."

The door to the classroom opened as a new pair entered the room, with a woman with long, wavy black hair entering first before a much taller man followed suite. Shino could tell everyone was ogling at the woman- and who wouldn't? She was beautiful, with big, catlike eyes that shifted around observingly at the kids who were left, a long nose that suited her oval face, and lips marked in a scarlet red sheen.

Her outfit was...interesting, to say the least; she wore a sort of dress that went above her knees, her right arm covered in a long red sleeve that connected to her mesh armour that was exposed along her collarbone and the rest of the dress made up of wide, white fabric strips with brown lines running through the middle, with edges protruding like thorns. Shino immediately noticed how deep red the pupils of her eyes were, standing out against her pale skin and dark hair, making her almost seem ghostly.

The man, on the other hand, was essentially a tower compared to her, a good foot and a few inches taller than she, with a wider body structure that made him look powerful. His hair was black and short, and connected to the beard on his tanned face that is quite grown out, much more grown out than most Shinobi would keep it as. He wore the green flak jacket, the same one Iruka would wear, as well as the standard long sleeve black shirt with the red circle on the upper part of the sleeve. He interestingly wore a sash around his waist, with the Kanji for 'Fire' stamped on it in red and encircled in black, as if he wanted to announce what land he came from.

"Well, well," the woman started, her voice smooth and warm like honey milk, as she glanced over to her companion."These are the fresh graduates, hm? Do you want to get your team first?"

"No, you can go ahead," the man said as he shoved his hands in his pockets, his voice deeper than Shino had expected. "Ladies first."

"How chauvinistic of you," she replied with an eye roll, as she returned her attention to the students. "Alright; who's part of Team 8?"

"U-uh," Hinata started, raising a hand, while Shino half heartedly did the same. He heard Kiba say 'yeah' and could only assume he did the same. The woman looked between them for a moment, taking them in, as she nodded slightly.

"Come along, then," the woman said with an inviting handwave without another word, as she started to walk towards the door, without a second glance. Shino guessed she assumed they knew she was the Jonin-sensei that was assigned to them, and didn't feel the need to clarify it.

"Let's go, Hinata," Shino said when Hinata didn't move, as if she were confused as to what to do next.

"R-Right," Hinata mumbled as she slid out of the bench, Shino doing the same behind her.

"Later Kiba!"

Shino finally glanced over towards their last teammate, who was giving his friend with the red hoodie a fistbump before shuffling down the bench towards the stairs that was against the wall with the doors, taking his time. His ninken, a small white dog who was no bigger than Shino's forearm, sat on top of the mop of brown hair on his head, balancing still while Kiba walked down the stairs.

Shino could hear the man that accompanied the woman cleared his throat slightly, before saying, "Is there a Team 10 here?"

"You're our Jonin-sensei, right?" Kiba asked as he reached the door, and she allowed them to stream outside of the classroom one by one. "Where are we going? Are we going on a mission right away?"

"No; I think today we should go somewhere to get to know each other first. We can start our duty as Shinobi tomorrow," the woman spoke. "Are you alright with walking to a teahouse?"

For the first time that day, Kiba actually glanced back towards Hinata and Shino as they trailed behind him, making eye contact with them with a questionable look on his face. The sudden gaze made Hinata fluster, and she glanced away, while Shino maintained it, though Kiba probably couldn't see through his dark lenses.

"Tea is good," Shino spoke up when their Jonin-sensei looked over to them when there was no answer. "Because we already had lunch, something lighter would be nice."

The dog that sat on top of Kiba's head let out a bark, and he didn't understand why, but the young Inuzuka didn't bother translating for them.

"Right," the woman said in a slow voice, her eyebrows pulling in slightly as if she were unsure. "Well, it shouldn't take us too long to get there, it's only down the road."

"O-okay," Hinata finally squeaked once her fluster settled down, but she continued to look everywhere except for Kiba and Shino.

"Are dogs allowed in this teahouse?" Kiba asked, pointing to the dog that sat on top of his head.

The woman nodded, saying, "Yes, it should be fine."

Shino could feel an unsettling silence fell over all of them, and surprisingly over Kiba as well. Usually he was the one starting conversations, but instead he followed behind their Jonin-sensei in silence, with a scowl on his face.

Shino didn't feel the need to talk. They all continued in relative silence as they left the Academy grounds, following the mysterious woman towards the main road.

"You three are the quietest Genins I have ever seen," the woman noted as they all settled into their seats, two facing two.

The teahouse was more like a café merged with the concept of traditional teahouse. It was a relatively spacious place with with a rustic vibe, decorated in wood and cool tones. The walls, which were painted to appear like the typical paper type of a shoji screen, had dark wood beams shooting up in the typical in an old style home, with Ukiyo-e art decorated large scrolls that hung along these walls. The cafe aspect came with the rest of the furniture, most which were a dark wood to match the wall beams; there were booths with a table and benches to sit at along the walls, with a few tables and chairs linearly spaced along the floor.

Shino said near the window seat while Hinata sat next to him; Kiba sat opposite to Shino, staring out at the window without bothering to remove the scowl from his face, with the mysterious woman beside him.

"You all were in the same class, right?" the woman continued as she laid the menu out in the centre of the table for them to see. "You guys act like you've never seen each other in your lives."

"I-It's not like that," Hinata started to mumble, fidgeting slightly with her fingers, her voice trailing off as Kiba immediately cut through.

"We never really talked back in the Academy," Kiba said as he propped his head on one hand, looking over them all slightly before returning to his attention to the woman. "This is the first time we ever had to work together."

More like the first time we ever really have to talk to each other, Shino wanted to say but bit his tongue.

"Ahh," the woman said as she nodded, a small smile on her face. "This is good then! We're starting off with a nice blank slate."

A waiter a few years older than the Genin in a pale blue yutaka (that really brought out his brown eyes, Shino noted) came by with a notepad in hand and a smile on his face, as he cheerfully asked, "Hi there! Are you all ready to order?"

"We'll just get something to start off. What do you kids like to drink? Sake?" The woman asked nonchalantly as she flipped to the back of the menu with a bandaged hand, where the alcoholic beverages were. "No, wait, it's too early for that...Mimosas?"

Shino didn't know how to respond to what the woman had just asked, trying to process how she could ask that question to them - a bunch of preteens- in the first place. He could see Kiba grin at her question, trying to suppress a chuckle. At last, the Inuzuka decided to actually grace them with his usual presence.

"I-I don't think we're old enough to drink," Hinata managed to say, the tips of her ears turning red.

"Oh right, I forgot," the woman said whimsically, disappointed in her eyes. "You're all 12. Oh well. I guess we'll just have a pot of green tea for now."

"Excellent," the waiter said, his smile never faltering thought Shino could see he too was trying not to laugh out loud, and he scribbled something on his notepad. "We'll bring it right away!"

"Now then," the woman started right as the waiter left, closing the menu shut and shifting her body to open up towards all three of the Genins. "How about we start with introducing ourselves? Just say your name, how you like to spend your time, what's your strengths and weaknesses concerning your skills, and what you don't like. Easy, right?"

Shino glanced over towards kiba and hinata, who all shared an uncomfortable look with each other, waiting for someone to go first. These questions were very specific, and Shino definitely does not want to go first.

"I'll start, and then we'll go counter-clockwise," the woman said when nobody moved or spoke, doing a circle with a finger, starting with Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. "My name is Kurenai Yuuhi. When I have free time, I like to read and have an evening drink. Sometimes I like to go outside of Konoha to the hillsides to do a wine tasting tour. My Genjutsu is my strongest skill, with my Taijutsu being the weaker of the three skills. I don't particularly dislike anything, thought when it comes to my students, I expect everyone to get along and put effort into their training."

So she's a borderline alcoholic, Shino thought, as Kurenai looked over to Kiba, smiling to him, "Alright. Go ahead. Tell us about yourself."

"My name is Kiba Inuzuka," Kiba started, a cocky grin growing on his face, his fangs much more noticeable when Shino was directly in front of him. He patted the dog's head, the dog now sitting along his hoodie neckline rather than the top of his head, and he continued, "And during my free time I like to go on runs on the Kage mountains with my buddy here, Akamaru. I also like to hang out with my friends, and play football or train with them."

Whether it was a pointed jab at Hinata and Shino, the Aburame couldn't tell, but Kiba didn't look directly at them when he said it.

"I wouldn't say I have a weakness, but I wouldn't say Genjutsu is my strong point," he continued, glancing at Kurenai. "My Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are top notch. But what I'm really good at is tracking- I can find anybody or anything, no matter how far they are with no problem!"

"And what technique do you use in order to track people down?" Kurenai asked, whether to humour him or she was genuinely asking, Shino wasn't sure, but he can tell she found the boy amusing. He had charm, Shino will give him that- but charms can only go so far for a Ninja. Unless he was doing espionnage, he wouldn't be able to use his boyish charms in the things they will be doing.

"It's a technique developed by my clan," Kiba said, as he tapped the side of his nose. "I can sniff out anyone with just an article of clothing. And Akamaru here can also do it, not leaving any scent unchecked."

Kind of like my insects, Shino thought, feeling abysmal at the similarity in their technique. Tracking was an Aburame clan specialty as well, though they do it through breeding a parasitic insects that can detect specific scents in a two part. The female parasites would cling onto a target of the host's choice, and the remaining male parasites would guide the host towards the female insect, guiding the host towards. The only downside would be if the target noticed the insect and killed it before the male could pick up the scent and complete the route.

Though, it is what the parasitic insects do to said targets at the will of the host that the Aburame were considerably feared throughout the land.

"Mhm," Kurenai hummed, as she nodded her head. "Interesting. And what would you say you dislike."

For a moment, he could see Kiba's eyes flick slightly over the two other teammates, before he answered with a convincing tone while maintaining his crooked smile, "I dislike working with stubborn and passive people."

Shino clenched his fists. There it is. The subtle jab.

To this, Kurenai's thin eyebrows rose up in surprise, this blunt answer unexpected, but she quickly fixed it by smiling at him. "Can you elaborate on that?"

"I just find people who are like that to be hard to work with," Kiba said slowly. "Teamwork is a big part of how the Inuzuka train, whether it be with their ninken or members of their teams; people who are stubborn in their ways would only hold everyone down. And passive people because they're indecisive and attempt to pander to everyone, and it slows everyone down."

Ironically enough, Kiba didn't seem to understand that he himself was a stubborn boy as well, with a headstrong and rebellious attitude that he put on display many times. But Shino maintained face as he always does, feeling the insects chattering about amongst themselves at the way he gritted his teeth.

"That may be the case, but sometimes there are benefits to these types of people," Kurenai said. "Passivity aids in moderating decisions, by looking at all sides without bias, allowing for a fleshed out decision making process. And stubbornness can be beneficial too at times; the unwillingness to quit and see things through can help push a team to achieve a goal."

"But, I mean, oftentimes it's not," Kiba said, shaking his head.

There it was. The Inuzuka stubbornness.

Kurenai didn't press on, instead looking over at Shino, "And what about you?"

At this point, the waiter had come with a pot of tea in a ceramic kettle with four small cups, placing it in front of each of the. Hinata immediately took the kettle and started to pour into the cups, before gently sliding the cups to each person with a sly hand.

"My name is Shino Aburame," Shino said, holding the warm cup of tea in one hand, soothing to his cold fingers. This is what he was afraid of; talking about himself and what he liked to do. "My hobbies include learning about insects and...finding insects."

He could feel an unnecessary amount of information elaborating on what he meant coming through, but he pushed his tongue on the tip of his roof. He'll leave his hobbies at that.

He could see Kiba staring at him with unwavering attention, eyebrows pulled in slightly. Shino continued, "I think I am very perceptive and I am most skilled at Ninjutsu or Genjutsu concerning insect handling and looking for details. My weakest skill is…"

Communication with people. Self-reflection till he spirals internally. Being emotionally available.

"Anything concerning not concerning insects."

This is going terribly, he knew it. He could feel it in his bones.

"So then," Kurenai interrupted his internal spiral after taking a sip of tea. "If you were an insect, what insect would you be?"

"An oo-kamakiri," Shino said without thinking, a bit too fast and a bit too loud, and he could feel a slight pause in the air. He kind of wanted to shrink at that moment.

"A mantis?" Kurenai asked, tilting her head. "Why would you be a mantis, Shino?"

"Because," Shino continued in a lower tone. "The oo-kamakiri are ambush predators that hunt for prey independently, like most insects do. They take their time when it comes to hunting, waiting days for the right opportunity, being able to successfully capture their prey by being patient and tactical. That's that mindset that I would have for missions, especially tracking missions; if you do not take your time and rush into things, you risk jeopardizing a mission and losing your target. Doing these types of missions alone like the oo-kamakiri also increases the likelihood of a mission succeeding, which is what I like to do."

_I like doing things solo_, was essentially what he was trying to say, but he unwittingly gave them a nice lesson on the mantis.

"I don't see how mantis finding prey to be the same as ninjas doing a manhunt," Kiba said with a slight scoff. "Why take days to find someone when you can do it in hours? And why do it alone, when you can get a group of people to help out, making finding the target "

"What if you end up in a team with someone who has a short fuse and is overconfident in their abilities, " Shino replied courtly, narrowing his eyes. "Or maybe you end up with someone who cannot use their eyes and lack perception. You risk carrying around extra weight that could potentially jeopardize the mission."

He knew what he said. He knew what those words meant to Kiba. After all, he said the same thing to him once, when they first started at the Academy.

Kiba's eyes widened for a second, before narrowing, the words settling into his mind. There was tension that filled the space between him, and Shino couldn't help but smile to himself, hidden behind his trenchcoat. He wasn't going to let Kiba get away with doing a jab to him, no way. He's going to put him in his place.

Kurenai, however, either didn't seem to notice the tension or simply didn't care, and she continued, "Do you have any dislikes that you would like to share with us?"

"...I don't have any dislikings."

That last question didn't matter, because he essentially already answered that question with his remark to the Inuzuka: _I don't like working with arrogant people like you._

"And finally, the young lady," Kurenai said with a soft smile, and Hinata stopped sipping from her tea cup as she shifted her gaze between Shino and Kiba, watching their little conversation with wide eyes, feeling the tension between them.

"U-um," Hinata started, placing the cup in front of her, both hands still clinging on to it. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga. And...I like to press flowers in my spare time...and baking sweets here and there. My strengths..."

Kurenai nodded along, looking at the young girl with a soft look, waiting for her to continue. Hinata finally looked up to the rest of the table from Kurenai, and continued, "I-I'm not sure if this is a strength, but I consider my agility to be good...but m-my strength, not so much. And I don't dislike anything...either."

She stopped abruptly, a bit too abruptly, but she didn't say anything more. Kurenai allowed the young girl to be, however, and finally turned her attention to all of them.

"Well, it is very nice to meet you all and I look forward to teaching all of you," Kurenai said kindly, smiling the same smile she had on before. "As I said before, today I just wanted to get to know all of you, and have everyone introduce themselves."

"So," Shino started slowly. "Tomorrow we'll start with the mission, right?"

"About that; I lied about having missions tomorrow. There is something else I have to discuss with you three," Kurenai said, and there was a shimmer of mischief in her eyes, as if she were hiding something. She lightly tapped on the menu saying, "You sure you three don't want to try the sake? I'm paying for all of this, after all. I won't even tell your parents."

"What!" Kiba exclaimed, looking at her incredulously, leaning onto the table. "You said we could start our jobs as Shinobi tomorrow! What gives?"

"Alright, I thought you guys might want something to make what I'm going to say next be better, but I guess not," she sighed as she pushed a few strands of her hair back over her shoulder. Her smile was less soft and more of a neutral line, and her eyebrows pulled in together, giving her a more serious air. "Tomorrow I'm going to be testing you three on your skills."

"T-testing?" Hinata mumbled, confusion all over her face.

"We already went through the Graduation Exams," Kiba scoffed, a frown on his face. "What more can you test us on?"

"I'm surprised that none of your parents have told you about this part of becoming a Genin," Kurenai said. "But I guess it can't be helped. This test I'll be doing on you will help me decide whether you truly deserve to be Leaf Shinobi or if I should send you back to the Academy."

All of their eyes widened at her words, and the room stood still around them.

"W-wha," Hinata started, her voice slightly louder than before. "Send us back to the Academy?"

"That's right," Kurenai replied with a slight nod. "Every year, depending on the number of graduates, there are only a certain number of Academy students that would be allowed to pass on to become a full-fledged Genin. This year, there are 27 graduates. And out of the 27 graduates, only 9 will move on to be Genins."

"And the rest gets sent back to the Academy," Shino mumbled.

"Whoa, hold up!" Kiba exclaimed. "What was the point of us taking those exams then? We've proven that we were ready to become shinobi of the Leaf, why are they trying to send people back despite passing?!"

"All you students had to do is pass the written exam as well as perform a single D-Level jutsu," Kurenai said, maintaining her gaze. "Anyone can pass those testing, however, only a handful of them actually have the mindset to become real shinobi. This is why we Jonin will be testing our respective groups to see if their members has what it takes to become an official part of the Leaf Shinobi Force."

Hinata glanced over to Shino nervously, who also looked at her and Kiba. He couldn't believe it. He did not endure those years at the Academy just to go back.

"If none of you want to go back to the Academy, then you have to prove yourselves to me," Kurenai continued, her voice still calm and smooth. "Tomorrow I want you all to meet me at the top of the Hokage Rock at around 9 o'clock sharp. Prepare yourself as if this were a real mission; this test is nothing like you have done in the Academy. Treat this test as if it's the real deal, with the repercussion of failure being getting sent back to the Academy. Do you all understand?"

Shino gave an isolate 'yeah' with Kiba, while Hinata nodded her head, never looking up at Kurenai. She looked at them for a moment, and after she felt that they had comprehended what she had said, she got out of her seat, pulling out her walled from a small, unnoticeable pocket of her dress.

"I'll order some kusa mochi for you," Kurenai said in a softer tone. "It'll go nicely with the tea. Then I'll be off. Remember, 9 o'clock sharp."

They all dully said 'yes' as Kurenai gave them one last smile and walked up to a counter with their waiter near the door, whispering something to him, and then paying for their meal. As she left, she gave them a farewell wave and walked out, leaving the three not-yet-Genin in stunned silence.

"...Should've asked her to get us that sake," Kiba scoffed disgruntledly as he started to down the tea that was in his cup.

**The fifth stage of grief: acceptance.**

For once, Shino agreed.


	3. Genjutsu Style! Hide and Seek andFlag

**A/N: Hello readers, it's been a hot minute but now that it's winter break, I finally have time to continue writing so here it is- the next chapter! Now we get to see Hinata's thoughts and how she feels; unfortunately, this is moreso a prelude to their actual test, but hopefully you all stick around to read this chapter!**

**Also, thank you all so much for reading so far and for supporting this story! Your comments mean a lot to me and I enjoy reading them!**

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"Today will be the final test I have to take in order to become a Genin, just as you and father have been before. Please, watch over me."

She bowed slightly, her hands together in a prayer sign in front of her nose, before opening her eyes and pushing herself off of her knees to stand. She quickly patted her black pants, getting rid of any left over lint from the pillow she sat on, and she stared at the Dainichi Buddha that stood tall and proud with his eyes closed, in the middle of the elevated floor surrounded by the four other slightly shorter Buddhas on each cardinal sides.

Lines of black tiles, rectangular and short with white paint engraved in kanjis, sat in rows and columns along ascending stairs that flanked beside the Buddhas closer to the wall, with bigger tiles reserving their spots closest to the statues. The big tiles soon transformed into framed photos with a tablet in front of it as you descended the stairs, with the most recent addition being the only one in colour.

The Hyuuga Shrine found in the northern part of the Hyuuga Compound is a homestead for the gods and the names of their ancestors and recently departed. While the Konoha cemetery was where most of their relatives would be buried, allocated under their appropriate place reserved for specific clans or among the fallen, this shrine was more so a safekeeping of their past, of their legacy, and of their tradition. The walls, though faint and dull from age, had traces of paintings of the Hyuuga clan's rich history and unique style of fighting, tracing all the way back to before the formation of Konoha as they know it today.

Rarely did Hinata come to the family shrine to pray, and rarely does she pray at all. She was unsure i f she truly believed in the gods that protected their family, and she was much more unsure of whether the spirits of her ancestors were truly watching over her. If anything, they were probably looking down at her with disappointment in their eyes and disapproving shakes of the head at how the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan turned out.

_Poor Lord Hiashi, _they were probably whispering amongst themselves. _It was bad enough that he had no sons, but the eldest daughter is weak in nature! What will become of the Hyuuga clan at if Hinata were to remain heiress?_

She only came to the shrine when she needed time alone and away from the entire compound, a place where she may talk freely to the air and without having to feel the weight of disappointment from the elders of her clan. Solace was found in the shrine that was hidden amongst the trees, away from prying ears and scrutinizing glances. Though, it was the limited access to the shrine that allowed the shrine to be almost always empty; this sanctuary is only allowed to be accessed by the lucky few that were born into the Main House of the clan.

The lucky few like herself.

Hinata wasn't fond of that rule, thought she was never fond of _anything _concerning the divide between the Main House and the Branch House. She was taught from a young age about the relationship between the houses from the elders that watched over her: the Main House was the brain of the clan, the most important organ that allowed all the knowledge and secrets hidden within this family to carry on throughout the generations, while the Branch House was the vessel that protected this important organ, working only as a reactionary mechanism of the Main House.

The Branch House's purpose in life, the reason they were born, was to protect the Main House from outsiders who sought to obtain the ultimate knowledge of the Hyuuga Clan, and inherently, want to obtain their prized kekkei genkai: the Byakugan.

But the shrine is a place for someone to seek solace and guidance in the gods, with the Buddhas being those who transcended into omnipotence, a teacher to all who wish to pursue their knowledge.

Why, then, should the Branch family, who, despite only being seen as protectors of the Main Family, not be allowed to enter this shrine that praises the gods that guided the principles of their clan? Do they not carry the same clan name? If their sole duty is to protect the Main House, then it would be that they were in an equally honourable position; without them, the Main House lineage would have to fend for themselves. They should have the right to seek solace, the same right as the Main House have to have faith.

That's what Hinata wished she could say.

But she knew that the house dynamic in the Hyuuga clan was much more complicated than that, running deep into the roots of their lineage. She knew it was a game of power, a game of authority. They were the Hyuuga clan, after all, and they were considered to be one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha, one of the four noble clans to actually found the village; control was given for a clan as secretive and powerful as her own.

That's why they performed that cruel technique that even the Hokage had to turn a blind eye to; to maintain power and control.

Maybe one day she could change the way the Hyuuga clan was. Maybe one day, the Main House would come to co-exist with the Branch House in a more equal way. But if she wanted to do any of that, she needed to be stronger than she is now.

And the only way to do that is to pass today's test.

_If you're there, Mother, _Hinata thought as her eyes returned back to the coloured image along the ancestral lineup. The woman in the photo, with deep blue hair that hung behind her shoulders with a few strands shaping her face and pale irises, looked back at her with a soft smile. _Please give me the courage you had._

She took her white hoodie and backpack from the floor beside where she sat and put it on as she started to walk across the wooden floor towards the doors of the shrine. As she gets to the bottom of the stairs, she took one last breath of the incense scented room.

She had plenty of time to spare before heading out to the Hokage Rock, her usual morning practice session (or, as she liked to think of it, her usual morning _torture _session) with her father and grandfather put on hold for the time being. But first had to pick up her lunch from the kitchen- her grandmother was likely there to make sure Hinata would pack more than enough to eat, insistence that if she wanted to become stronger for the clan, she would build her body that way.

It was conflicting with what all her aunties would say. They would tell Hinata to cut down on the food, or else she would gain weight. _Or worse _, they would say when her grandmother mentions being stronger, _you'd look like a guy with big muscles _. It didn't help that ever since she turned 10, for some reason, her waist had gotten wider and her chest was bigger than most girls her age. Luckily, the hoodie she had was not only useful for the cool January weather they have in Konoha, but also helped hide her body from judging eyes.

She crossed a short way into the main house found in the centre of the compound, trying to maintain her step as she crossed the floorboard that lined around the perimeter of the house. She kept her eyes glued to the ground whenever she could see an elder Hyuuga walking down the hall, trying to ignore them and save herself from an impending lecture.

As she entered the hallway towards the kitchen, Hinata turned the corner quickly, when she suddenly felt a sharp collision with someone that made her rebound back onto the floor.

Her face twisted slightly at the pain of her nose hitting against the other person's shoulders, and she let out a small 'ow'.

"Watch where you're-" a sharp voice suddenly scolded her, before abruptly stopping. Hinata looked up towards the person she had just hit, and she could feel a slight sense of dread building up in her stomach.

"O-Oh," Hinata managed to mumbled, as she scrambled to get herself up, not wanting to seem completely knocked out from what was a simple collision (even though her nose was still stinging). "Neji-niisan."

Her cousin stood before her in his usual shinobi garb of brown shorts and eggshell washed shirt, looking down at her from his slightly taller stature, his angular eyes narrowing. His headband with the Konoha symbol gleamed slightly when he tilted down, the metal rectangle being stitched onto a brown headband instead of the usual blue, with long buckles hanging from each of his temples and going past his shoulders.

Neji was her cousin through their fathers, his father Hizashi, who had passed away when she was too young to remember what had truly happened, being her father's younger twin. Neji was her senior by only a year. He had graduated from the Academy and became a Genin during the previous year, yet he looked much older than the average 13 year old that he should be. It could be because of how hardened his face looked compared to a lot of kids around their age, making his face look sharper than it actually was. He balanced it out with his long brown hair, that flowed up till his waist as it would traditionally be grown by the men of the family, held by the end with an hairtie.

Hinata was often time envious of Neji. He was considered what a Hyuuga should be, disciplined and stoic, and efficient when it came to mastering the basic forms of their family's fighting style, the Gentle Fist. She wished she had not only his natural gift of picking up skills with ease and always being sure with every calculated strike he made- it would make her life easier in that way.

That, and she wished she had his looks as well. She had heard the long running comments made by the women of the family; "_ Hiashi's eldest is cute and all, but Hizashi's child is the prettiest out of all the cousins" _and " _I wish my daughter looked like Hizashi's child". _

And most of the times, Hinata agreed with them.

"I'm sorry!" Hinata quickly exclaimed, feeling nervous by how his white pupils seemed to be looking into her soul. "Are you alright?"

She could see that he was trying not to show his scowl at her, but was proving to have difficulties when she saw the corners of his mouth twitch downwards, lines evident on his pale dread seeped in deeper, and she could feel her shoulders curl inwards, trying to make herself small under his gaze.

Neji never smiled at her.

He always frowned.

Even when Hinata was younger and tried to talk and play with him, Neji never smiled at her. He only forced out a reply here and there, and that's only if her father was around.

"Lady Hinata," Neji replied courtly, his tone much cooler than before, but he still glowered at her. "Please watch your step. You can hurt yourself by not being careful."

"O-oh," Hinata muttered as she glanced away, his piercing eyes making her nervous. "Okay. But are you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Neji immediately walked past her with a quick step, turning the corner she came from without a single word, leaving Hinata alone.

"...hurt," she finished in a whisper, the dread now turning into hurt at being dismissed this way.

She really did try her hardest to get to know Neji but to no avail. The young boy never seemed to want to talk to her, never mind be around her. If he was, it was only because Hinata couldn't be left alone and needed someone from the Branch House to watch over her; and usually, Neji would be the prime candidate, handpicked by Hiashj, being the closest to her age compared to the other clansmen. It has always been this way, their relationship has always been rocky, but Hinata never understood why Neji always refrained from talking to them.

Were they not cousins before anything else? Was he not supposed to her older brother, the one she should seek guidance from?

What had she done to Neji, except be born into the Main House?

But at the same time, if she were him, would she not resent her as well?

Hinata didn't have time to ruminate over what had just happened, and tried to push it down to the back of her mind, as she often does. She fixed the straps of her bag so it fit snug on her shoulder and continued to walk down the halls at a slower pace.

She got to the part of the complex where the faint sounds of pots clanking against one another and fresh fish and eggs sizzling on top a pan could be heard, and Hinata could feel her mouth salivating. She was just in time for a quick breakfast on the spot.

She slid the door with a gentle hand, revealing a pair of woman, both relatively young and wearing a white bandana across their forehead, swiftly shifted between the countertop and the stove. Another woman, middle aged with a few grey hairs, stood near a giant pot on top of a coal fire near the open doorway on the opposite side, letting the steam from the rice cooking waft out to the back court. An elderly woman with grey hair secured in a bun and slightly hunched shoulders shuffled along the countertop, a bento box sitting in front of her as she stuffed sliced vegetables inside.

"Lady Hinata," all three women acknowledged her as they did a bow to the young heiress. Hinata bowed to them, them being her aunties, even if they were apart of the Branch House - she was still raised to be respectful of her elders.

And even then, Hinata found that it was harder to maintain a separation of houses between the women of the Hyuuga clan- regardless of the house they belong to, and regardless of whether they are of a lower branch, it seems that often when the women and girls are together without the demeaning eye of men, there is not as big of a drift between them, save for maintaining standard titles protocols.

It didn't help that often times, marriage between the Main House and the extended Branch House. After all, her own grandmother, her father's mother, was from the Branch House, further along the line, and married her grandfather of the Main House. These marriages blurred the lines of formality at times.

Though, what the women lacked in standard house tensions tends to take the form of more personal grudges towards certain family members, from meager things like forgetting to return the favour to downright gossiping about an aloof relative over tea.

Ah, the benefits of having a large family.

While Hinata would try to avoid having a conversation with relatives (mostly because it causes her an existential crisis with their incessant questions and because she already had enough whispers about her), these three aunties were the ones she was most comfortable with. They were often the ones in the kitchen, the ones making the meals during the day for the entire clan; diplomacy was the least of their concern when they had to make copious amounts of food.

"Good morning, Aunties," Hinata replied in a soft tone, smiling as she stepped towards the elderly lady, to look at the contents of the bento box. She could feel her stomach churn at the amount of rice that was on the exposed layer, and that was just one of the two. "Grandmother, you know I can't eat that much food..."

"Nonsense," her grandmother said without looking at Hinata, her frail little body shaking as her hands closed the lid of the bento box. She started to fold the cloth, a baby blue cloth, around the box in a slow manner, the slight twitching of her hand with each tug worrying Hinata, but she didn't stop the woman from doing it. "You need all the energy you can get to become stronger. How would you bring honour to the Hyuuga name if you do not become a strong heir like your father, and his father before?"

_Maybe I don't want to be the heir _, Hinata wanted to say, but just smiled shyly, eyebrows pulling in. "I can be strong without eating a meal for two."

"Mother Homura," one of her aunt's with the white bandana started from the stove. "Lady Hinata does not need to eat more than she needs to. They won't put her on any taxing missions right away."

"Aunt Kayake's right, Grandmother," Hinata nodded along. "I'm just doing a test-"

"If it's the same type of testing they did with Hiashi, then you most definitely need more than this," Homura replied, her eyebrows, fine and grey, raising as she tried to turn her body to put the bento box back onto the table.

"N-no, it's alright!" Hinata took the box with both hands before Homura could set it down. She started to guide Homura towards a rocking chair in the corner of the kitchen, where a tea set has already been placed on top of a table nearby. "This is enough! Thank you."

"Have they already assigned your team?" the woman stirring the pot of rice, her Aunt Suzume, distantly related to Hinata as is Kayake, started, drawing Hinata's attention towards her after she allowed Homura to take a seat.

"Yes, we were assigned to them yesterday," Hinata said, unraveling her grandmother's hands to hold onto the bento box in the blue cloth. "I have been placed on a team with Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame."

"An Inuzuka?" The other woman with the bandana, Kayake's younger sister and Hinata's Aunt Mitsu, giggled. She continued to slice open the shrimps from their shells on a cutting board, placing them in a separate bowl. Mitsu leaned forward slightly towards the other three woman, keeping her voice low so that only Homura, with her age causing her poor hearing, could not hear."The Inuzuka men are quite rugged, don't you think?"

"Mitsu, we do not care for your love affairs," Kayake waved her sister's comment off, returning her attention to the stove, but Suzume's face contorted in a frantic frown.

"Mitsu! Do not plant such ideas in Lady Hinata's mind!" Suzume scolded her with a hiss, lifting the rice paddle from the pot, waving it slightly as if she were about to hit Mitsu with it. Hinata could feel her neck start to flush slightly as it started to reach her cheeks at her implications. "She is still a child!"

"Tell me, Hinata," Mitsu ignored them and ushered Hinata to come closer. The young heiress gravitated towards them. "What are your teammates like?"

"They're…" Hinata started, hesitating slightly about the words she could use. How _were _her teammates like?

She was apprehensive of being placed on Team 8, and she was sure Shino and Kiba were too. She saw how Kiba's friends, the two boys and the girl he always sat next to, snickered and whispered amongst themselves when they heard Hinata and Shino's name, and something about them being 'weirdos'.

Hinata wasn't surprised by their words. She knows that, compared to the rest of her classmates, she was off. Painfully shy and quieter than a mouse, Hinata was a stark contrast to what the usual kid her age was like. Her mannerisms, her voice, hell, even her looks, made her a wallflower, a pale white wallpaper that people know is there, but never bothered to be looked at. Only her blood made her truly visible. The only times that people willingly engaged with her is when her family's name is mentioned during a lecture, in which all the kids would turn over to wherever she was sitting to look at her, to see her reaction.

Most of the time, she would look away.

She didn't like looking at people. She didn't like making eye contact.

She felt it was too heavy, too intimate, too much for her soul to handle. She feels like people try to analyze too much of what she says, trying to reach into her soul, trying to unlock the pandora box that is her emotions.

And she didn't like that.

That's why she liked Shino a lot. She knew they would get along well, he was equally as quiet as her, though he was by no means shy. If yesterday's team meeting probed anything, it was that Shino Aburame was vocal, raising himself as an equal to whoever he spoke to. But he respected their space, respected Hinata's space, not looking at her unless she initiated (though, it could be because his glasses made it hard for her to see his irises, making her feel at ease).

Kiba on the other hand, she wasn't sure what to say. He was on the opposite spectrum to her, being outgoing and rowdy with his ways, and the confidence he exudated made Hinata envious. She didn't mind loud people- she found them fascinating and admirable.

But he was also subtly witty, something that she didn't think she would describe the Inuzuka as. Usually he is vocal about how he feels, calling someone out on their nonsense without a second thought, but yesterday showed her that there was more to him than meets the eye.

She had to admit thought; while envious of Kiba's personality, she was incredibly intimidated by him. It's not as if she didn't see his bad side, when he would dive head first into a fight against another kid if they talked smack about him to his face, his fists brimming purple with bruises and face speckled with blood. And he always came out victorious with a grin on his face, and Iruka-sensei fuming as he had to drag him off of the poor kid who tried to get a rise out of him, only to be crying on the ground with a bloody nose.

Just remembering it sent chills down her spine.

She definitely did **not** want to get on his bad side.

"They're nice," she said, fidgeting with the bento box as she glanced away, the way Mitsu looked at her with anticipation making her nervous. "A-and, they're very interesting."

"Interesting in what way?"

"U-uh-"

"Mitsu, you'll get in trouble if Lord Hiashi hears what you insinuate," Kayake warned her sister with a weary look towards Homura, but the old woman barely heeded their words, enjoying a cup of tea as she swayed slightly in the rocking chair.

Mitsu giggled at her words and straightening herself, before continued slicing the shrimp's shell in her hand. "Can't I ask the young heiress about these things? It's not like they won't ask her about it later."

Hinata could feel herself blush at her aunt's notion.

There was someone that she admired in her life...but she was not going to disclose that to them, not until the entirety of hell freezes over.

"Do that when it is time to do so," Suzume scoffed. "Knowing Lord Hiashi, however, it would be a long process."

_I hope it doesn't happen anytime soon, _Hinata thought, biting the bottom of her lips slightly. Talks of marriage and whatnot were not her main concern- perhaps one day, but right now, she had more things to worry about than her supposed betrothal.

"Isn't it interesting though," Kayake suddenly started after a pause, turning back to look at towards the two other women and Hinata. "That they always put an Aburame, an Inuzuka, and a Hyuuga on the same team whenever the graduating class had all three?"

To this, Hinata's eyebrows raised slightly. Her words were too precise not to ignore. "A-always? Who was apart of the last of this group formation?"

All three women looked at one another when Hinata asked her question, their faces suddenly become weary, and Hinata could feel the room fall still all of the sudden. She glanced between them, not knowing what to do, and suddenly felt like becoming very small to hide herself, not knowing what had warranted this tenseness.

"Lord Hiashi hasn't told you yet?" Suzume asked in a suddenly low tone, hushed as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. When Hinata nodded, she glanced around for a second, her eyes flitting cautiously towards the door, before landing back on Hinata. "Well...it doesn't hurt to know but...the last time they had a Aburame-Inuzuka-Hyuuga team was with-"

They suddenly heard the tatami door wiggle a bit and abruptly stopped talking, waiting for the person to reveal themselves.

"Lord Hiashi," all the women in the kitchen said in unison as they bowed, and Hinata turned around towards the tatami door, a tall man in a deep blue yukata and a darker grey jacket standing between the frame.

Her father had his usual stoic face, his eyebrows naturally arched to look like he was frowning most of the times and his mouth in a straight line. He gave an acknowledged bow to Hinata's grandmother, his mother, before looking over to Hinata.

"G-good morning, Father," Hinata quickly whispered with a slight bow of her head, gripping the sides of her lunch box. Hiashi stared at Hinata for a moment, as if analyzing what he saw, trying to pick out any sort of flaw in how she appeared.

"Today is your final test, is it not?" Hiashi asked in an even tone, never breaking eye contact from Hinata, who glanced away towards the lines of the floorboard. "Why are you still here? And look at me when I speak to you."

"Yes!" she squeaked at how much sharper his tone became, and straightened her gaze. "I just had more time left so...so I thought I could take my time today."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes.

"_ Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless. Heedlessness is the path to death. The heedful do not die. The heedless are as if already dead* _." Hiashi quoted the proverb from ancient scriptures without missing a beat, and Hinata could see the frown lines deepening on his tanned face. "If you were going to mindlessly be on the compound this whole time, then you could have been practicing your forms. Your sister has already mastered all of the basic forms; you have yet to perform them efficiently."

"I-I," Hinata started, now feeling her neck burning in embarrassment of being put on the spot in this way, but she couldn't finish her sentence, feeling the heat rising to her face.

"Mother," Hiashi turned his attention towards her grandmother, who had simply been keeping her mouth closed as Hiashi gave Hinata the third degree. "Hinata is grown and she can make her own meals. You're spoiling her by making her lunch."

"Hiashi," Homura said with a slight hum to her voice, soft and slow, as she started to sway lightly on the chair. "If you believe this to be true, then you should make your own tempura from now on, do you not think so?"

To this, Hiashi eyes slightly widened in hesitation for only a split second, but he quickly fixed himself back to neutrality. Hinata had to stifle her laugh, and she looked down to hide the amused smile she couldn't suppress.

Leave it to Homura to be as eloquently blunt as her son.

"That is not the same," Hiashi replied coolly. "The food you make is for the entire family."

"Tempura is usually reserved for dinners," Homura said as equally calm. "But you still insist on eating it for breakfast as well. You should eat better; you're a grown man."

Hinata could see her father's jaws clenching, muscle along his jawline flexing- being told off by one's mother in front of an audience was not on the top of every clan leader's to do lists.

"Hinata." His eyes returned to her, and she quickly kept her lips in a line. "It is best if you left for your test. You don't want to keep your team waiting for you."

_I didn't even eat breakfast, _Hinata thought, but refused to say this outloud. She didn't want to be scolded anymore than she needed to be. "Yes."

"Do not be a burden to your teammate," Hiashi said courtly, before stepping aside to let Hinata walk through the open doorway.

Hinata gritted her teeth, feeling her throat suddenly lodged with emotion, but she kept it to herself. She nodded, and quickly exited the kitchen, giving a quick bow to her grandmother before she made her way towards the courtyard to leave the compound.

_I won't burden anyone, _Hinata thought as she inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying her best to maintain her confidence, but she could already feel the tips of her eyes started to sting with tears. _I promise, I won't burden anyone. _

* * *

When Hinata made it to the top of the Hokage Rock, she was surprised to see that Shino was the only one there, waiting underneath a tree. She glanced up to the sky, the morning sun bearing white in the east slightly above the horizon. It was nearly time for their test, she could tell, but where could their sensei and Kiba be?

She wasn't sure where Shino was looking at, his dark frames shading his eyes from anyone to see, but from the way his face tilted down, she could tell she was looking at the ground with intent.

_Should I call out to him? _She thought, ready to raise her hand to wave towards him, but hesitated slightly. _No, he looks busy...I don't want to disturb him. But, then again, I should ask him where everyone else is... _

Hinata continued this debate on whether she should call out to Shino or walk up to him as she crossed clearing, but she wasn't given the opportunity to think it through. All of the sudden, she heard a high pitched bark becoming louder from the trail she just walked on, and a voice yelling, "Akamaru! Wait up buddy!"

She knew who it was immediately, and spun on her heels to look behind her. Unfortunately, she was not prepared for the small flash of white coming towards her at full speed, already a metre away from her.

Hinata didn't have time to react, and she wasn't sure whether she could or not- by the time she blinked, the flash of white had jumped up towards her and hit her chest, pushing her backwards and making her land on her behind, before laying flat on her back.

Talk about a double whammy. This is the second time she was sent flying onto her back. Her tailbone was starting to hurt a bit. It didn't help that she had her backpack on during the fall, and had placed her bento box inside, making the impact harder against her lower back when she fell, the side of the bento box digging into her sharply.

Hinata blacked out for a few seconds, eyes closed in shock and her ears momentarily blanking. When she slowly opened her eyes, she was greeted by a little brown nose against hers and the sound of slight panting.

Her eyes started to take in everything beyond the nose, seeing it attached to a white puppy with long, floppy ears and small, brown eyes that looked at her with excitement. The puppy barked at her once, and she could feel a _thump thump thump _on her abdomen, his tail wagging happily.

"H-hello...Akamaru," Hinata managed to say in a soft voice, remembering the puppy's name from how Kiba had introduced him as yesterday. This only made Akamaru even more excited because he barked a few times and his tail wagged faster, before he gave Hinata's cheek a little lick.

Hinata could feel her heart soar at this little gesture by the puppy. Is this what feeling wanted is like?

"Akamaru!" Kiba's voice exclaimed as he ran up towards Hinata, who was still being licked by the puppy. "Get off of her! Sit!"

Akamaru did as he was told with a slight whine, and hopped off of Hinata's chest, sitting down beside her as he looked expectantly at Kiba. Hinata managed to prop herself up with her elbows, lifting her back up into a sitting position. She glanced up to see Kiba standing near her feet, both hands on his hips as he gave Akamaru a disapproving look.

Hinata could feel her heart start beating fast while looking at her now teammate; he was much more intimidating from where she was sitting, narrow eyes shifting around with a frown on his face. Kiba had always scared her slightly, with his red markings making him look like a warrior on his way to a battleground, and the way his eyebrows, sharp and fierce, made his narrow eyes look even more piercing. She was half ready to apologize, but then she saw his frown disappear as he softened his look, now looking at Hinata with...was it concern?

"Sorry about that," Kiba said, almost in a mumble, and Hinata could see that his cheeks flushed pink suddenly, as if embarrassed. "I swear, he's usually better behaved than this."

"It's okay," Hinata replied softly, and Akamaru barked at Hinata, taking a step closer.

"What d'ya think you were doing, Akamaru?" Kiba looked at Akamaru with a stern look, his arms crossing over, eyebrows pulled in. The puppy stopped in his tracks and looked up to his owner, his dog wagging in the air.

"Arf! Arf!"

"So what? You could've hurt Hinata!"

"Arf! Arf, arf, arf!"

"I don't want to hear it," Kiba huffed. "Now sit and think about what you did! You're not getting any treats until you obey!"

Akamaru let out a whining sound, his happy demeanor dropping as his tail stopped wagging, his eyes looking back at Kiba big and glistening in woe. When Kiba raised an eyebrow at Akamaru, waiting for the puppy to continue, Akamaru stopped his attempt at persuading Kiba to let him be and he laid down on his stomach sadly, a whine emitting from his throat.

"...you need a hand?" Kiba asked after a moment when Akamaru settled down.

Hinata, meanwhile, was preoccupied staring between him and Akamaru in awe, watching them have a conversation she couldn't understand, only going by Kiba's words. What kind of technique helped you communicate with animals? She knew about shinobi being able to summon animals for their services, forming a blood pact between the master and the animal, but she often heard of summoning animals being able to speak in their tongue.

When she noticed Kiba's hand reaching out towards her, she looked at him for a split second, feeling less intimidated by her new teammate. Should she accept his aid?

_I won't be a burden, _she reminded herself, while shaking her head lightly. _I won't be coddled. _

"N-no," she said quickly, her inflection making her voice crack, and she stood up, brushing her behind while doing so. She added in a much more normal rhythm, "Thank you, t-though."

"Hinata, are you hurt?" a low, monotone voice suddenly said behind her. She nearly jumped by how close the voice, low and soft, was, but she stopped herself from doing so upon recognition, and turned around towards the source.

"I-I'm not," Hinata said with a slight smile, tilting her head up to look at Shino, him being taller than she, even with her sandals. She placed her arms slightly in front of her, refraining from showing any signs of pain from her back. "I'm fine."

Shino stood by with his hands in his coat pocket, half his face still being hidden the collar, not saying anything for a moment. Hinata couldn't tell where he was looking, but from the way his arched eyebrows pulled in slightly, she assumed she was looking at Kiba. He softened his face again quickly, as if realising that they were staring at him.

"Did something break in your bag?" Shino asked smoothly, without moving whatsoever. He paused again for a split second, before continuing, "Because I heard a crack when you fell."

"Oh!" Hinata exclaimed in a light voice, swinging her bag around in front of her quickly, remembering her poor bento box that she had inside. She opened her bag and peered inside and…

"Oh no," Hinata moaned as she looked at what was supposed to be her lunch. The rice, vegetables, everything was outside of the bento box, scattered everywhere and she could see the box has a slight fissure along the side, liked due to her landing.

"My l-lunch," Hinata mumbled, and she could feel her stomach churn at the sight of food being spoiled. She really should have eaten something before leaving.

Shino leaned over slightly, head barely moving downwards but Hinata could tell he was looking into her bag. He stood there motionless for a moment, before tilting his head slightly on the side, looking beyond Hinata.

"Can't you keep your dog on a leash?" Shino said suddenly, his voice low and a bit forceful, inflecting slightly at the end as if unsure how to end the sentence.

Hinata could feel a shift in the atmosphere amongst them at Shino's words, and she stared at him wide eyes before looking over at Kiba. Kiba stared at him for a split second, eyes blinking at Shino, before his eyebrows pulled in quickly, jaw clenching, when their teammate's words were finally processed in their minds.

"What did you say?"

"I said 'can't you keep your dog on a leash'," Shino repeated in an equal tone. The atmosphere was tense as they stared at each other, and Hinata took a slight step back, not wanting to be caught in between, fidgeting with her fingers slightly.

"His name is _Akamaru, _" Kiba replied sharply, his words punctuated with a slightly louder tone, and Hinata could see the flame of anger spark in his eyes as he glared at Shino. "And _Akamaru _isn't some _pet _I can put on a leash. Like how _you _don't put your bugs in a _container _."

"We're talking about Akamaru, not my insects," Shino replied stiffly. "Maybe you should train him to listen to you more before using him on our mission. Because it looks like he doesn't even obey simple commands."

"Arf!" Akamaru barked lightly, looking between the two of them as , but Kiba ignored him.

"She said she was fine, didn't she? It wasn't like he was attacking her- and besides, you don't need to tell me what I should do with _my _ninken!"

They had an important test that would determine whether they could become Shinobi, why were they having an argument at this very moment?

Hinata wasn't sure what to do with herself at that moment, finding herself hesitating to even look at either of the boys, fearing they might explode into an altercation if she dared to see. Should she stop them from arguing? How would she even stop them? What if they start getting into a fight? Would she be able to stop them? No way.

She was too weak, too cowardly, no way would she be able to stop a fight.

"U-uh, guys," Hinata started, but her voice barely came out, a light airy tone that was easily overpowered by Shino's voice.

"What's your problem with me, huh?" Kiba started suddenly taking a step forward passing Hinata to stand directly in front of Shino, his fists clenching. "If you got something you want to say about me, then say it to my face!"

"I have nothing to say to you," Shino replied. "I was talking about your dog."

"If you have a problem with _Akamaru _, then you have a problem with _me _," Kiba said, his voice filled with venom as he looked up to Shino, who didn't flinch in the slightest. "Yesterday you had a lot to say- why are you acting all mute now?"

They stood there for a moment, neither of them moving. Akamaru let out a slight whine, and shuffled closer to Hinata's leg, as if seeking some sort of comfort, but she couldn't move. The pressure in the atmosphere is making her head tense up with adrenaline, and Hinata could feel her forehead starting to scrunch up. She couldn't activate the Byakugan, not now, no, and she tried to focus by glancing between them, waiting for someone to say something.

Shino was the first to break the silence.

"If you don't know how to use him, then you shouldn't have brought him today," Shino said slowly and dully, as if talking to a child who didn't understand what he did wrong. "It would only hold us back. This test is important and we can't jeopardize our chances."

Kiba gritted his teeth, and Hinata could see his fists started to clench.

_Oh no _.

Was he going to swing at him? She shifted her legs slightly apart, ready to intervene, but she could barely move otherwise.

Before Kiba could move, the wind started to pick up pace around them, swirling in front of the trio and forcing them to plant their feet on the ground and concentrate on not being blown away. Hinata could see the leaves from the trees nearby creating a sparse tornado as a sudden figure appeared in the middle of the vortex.

"K-Kurenai-sensei," Hinata mumbled as she watched with wide eyes as the leaves settled around the figure their long black hair and deep red outfit.

"Looks like everyone came here on time," Kurenai looked between them with a nonchalant smile. "I was going to give you guys some time together, but it looks like something was happening. Is everything alright?"

Kiba unclenched his fists and placed them in his hoodie pockets, balling them up inside. He gave a dejected, "Yeah, everything's fine."

She glanced over to Shino, who didn't say anything and was looking away from her, before her eyes landed on Hinata. Hinata felt flustered and started to glance away, her nerves getting the best of her as red eyes scanned over her, waiting to see if she had anything to say.

"Y-yes," Hinata said, still glancing away. "All fine."

"Alright then," Kurenai replied after giving them another questionable look, and she reached into her dress pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a small clock. "Since everyone is here, we can get started with the test. Gather around."

All three of them obeyed and followed Kurenai as she walked towards a wooden picnic table underneath a tree nearby. After leaving their bags on the table, they formed a semi circle around Kurenai, with Hinata standing between Kiba and Shino as Akamaru rejoined his master by his side with a few little bounds off his small paws. It took a good amount of self-restraint for Hinata to not look at the puppy and coo at how cute he looked as he sat down, his tail waving around slowly as he waited to Kurenai to speak.

"Since this is my first time having a Genin team, I decided that this test would be much easier that I originally planned," Kurenai started, her gaze resting on them as she spoke. "Your test will be…"

There was a fraction of pause in her sentence, and Hinata could feel the anticipation in the air as they hung over her every word. What was the test going to be? Are they going to have to prove their worth by winning a match? Would have to fight each other?

Or worse; would they have to win a fight against Kurenai?

Hinata gripped a string of her hoodie, her hand already placed over her chest while she was standing and listening to Kurenai talk, and she swallowed

"A little game of hide and seek tag," Kurenai said, and Hinata could have sworn there was a flash of amusement on her face. "With a little added twist of capture the flag. Sounds fun, right?"

Hinata glanced over to her teammates, and she could see Kiba shift his eyes around to them as well, apprehensive and wary about her intentions.

"You've played those games, haven't you?" Kurenai asked with a slight quirk of her fine brow, looking between them as they stared silently back, uncertainty in the atmosphere.

"We have," Shino responded for the group. "As children, though. "

Hinata noticed the slight hesitation in Kurenai at his words, her lips pursing slightly, but it left as quickly as it came. She smiled instead, and continued in a much softer voice, "Then you should already know the rules, but there are a few things I added and changed for this test."

She held a hand up and placed a finger onto the metal plate of her red headband, right beside the Konoha symbol edged deep. She tapped it with the tip of her deep red nails.

"This headband right here is the flag," she said in the same tone. "The goal of this test is to get this headband off of my forehead."

Hinata felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety and worry building up in her stomach at Kurenai's words, and her eyebrows refused to relax from the frown. This doesn't sound like a hard task, but considering that this is a Jonin they were facing, only a rank below the Hokage, makes this little task...well...much more difficult than anything they had ever gone through before.

Her ranking, and from what Hinata remembered from the previous day, she knew Kurenai's strongest skill was her in the realm of Genjutsu. Genjutsu in itself was such a vast field, limited only by the users' own unbrittled imagination. It is the art of illusion, after all, preying on the senses of your opponents by affecting the specific parts of the brain in order to make them believe that the illusion are true, making them vulnerable to experience things that are not happening in the physical world. Unlike Ninjutsu, though, it was much harder to control, with the user having to be able to control their chakra as well as being able to come up with a way to reach the opponents senses, those being five more extra things to worry about, unlike the other ninja arts.

The expanse of Genjutsu was not taught during their Academy years, instead focusing on Ninjutsu and Taijutsu to prepare them as shinobi. The only Genjutsu they had to learn was the Clone Illusion Jutsu, but even that D-level jutsu was incredibly hard to master, taking many a year to make at least one competent clone illusion.

Even Iruka rarely employed that technique during the mock battles he would have with another teacher, opting for the easier Ninjustu, _Clone Jutsu _, telling them that clones are better used to distract the enemy and less taxing for them to control.

"Okay," Kiba replied slowly, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "What's the hide and seek part for?"

"That's the fun part," Kurenai replied. "Like a usual game of hide and seek, I'll hide around the Village with the flag, and you three would have to find me in order to capture the flag. I've decided to make it easier, though, since this is the first time I'm doing this test. The only places I'll hide is on the Hokage Rock or the training grounds. Nowhere else in the Village."

_A game of capture the flag that required them to find the flag in a pretty expanded area _...

This was definitely not an easy task, but it was definitely not a hard one. They've played these kind of games in the Academy, in the form of a treasure hunt in the middle of one of their training grounds in order to utilize their survival skills for a few hours, but it was limited to a certain area and one target. That, and they usually had a much more obvious trail to lead them on the right path.

It was clear to Hinata as why Kurenai set up the test in the way she did. She must have read their datasheets when they were first assigned to her: with Kiba hailing from the Inuzuka clan and having a keen sense of smell, and Hinata having the Byakugan that allowed her heightened sight, this test was to see how they would do in tracking a target. Hinata wasn't sure exactly how Shino fit into the team, but she knew he was extremely perceptive, more so than she was, even without her clan's abilities.

Hinata felt like she should have an advantage for this task, with her Byakugan and all, but she still had an immature grasp of the skill. It was taxing to control, and took up a good amount of her strength to maintain; even with all those years of training, she couldn't understand how to control it efficiently.

And that's what worries her the most.

She should have an advantage, but this advantage was easily be a disadvantage.

"That's it?" Kiba said, a smirk growing on his face. "That makes this too easy!"

"There's three extra rules, though," Kurenai added as she smiled at Kiba's enthusiasm, as she held up the clock. "The first one is the time limit. I'm only giving you exactly five hours from when we start to find me. I'll leave the timer here."

"Would that be wise?' Shino suddenly asked. Hinata looked at him questionably, as did everyone else, and it took him a minute to continue his though. "It's possible that one of us could change the clock, and give us the advantage of having extra time."

"Good point Shino, but this is mostly for you three," Kurenai said. "I don't need a clock to tell time. Besides, if one of you touch this clock, it would self implode. You could try it yourselves if you don't believe me though."

Hinata gulped as she stared at the clock in her hand as it sat on the table. No way is she going anywhere near that.

"This leads me to the second rule. If none of you get the headband before the designated five hours, then you _all _will fail the test and be sent back to the Academy."

That made sense. This was like a final exam, it made sense for her to be this strict on them.

"The last thing is the most crucial part, so listen carefully," Kurenai continued. "The reason why the Academy decided to put you in a team because each of you possessed the abilities to become impeccable trackers."

"But after meeting all of you yesterday, I gave it some thought," she said slowly. "I figured that there's no point in having all three of you become Genin when we could use the person with the _best _tracking skills so far. Therefore, the first person to find me and capture the flag will become a Genin. The other two will return to the Academy."

"Wha-" Hinata muttered in shock, taken aback by her words, her fist clenching tighter on her chest.

"Are you even allowed to do that?" Kiba asked. "There must have been a reason to put us all together like this!"

"Yes, there must have been. But at the end of the day, _I'm _the one who has to teach and guide you to becoming a remarkable shinobi during your time as a Genin," Kurenai emphasized. "The Academy doesn't have control over who passes here on out- but I do. And I have decided that whoever is the most capable gets to be Genin."

_That's not fair, _Hinata wanted to say, but she held her tongue, realizing the stupidity in her thought. The ninja world is never fair to begin with; so why would this testing be?

"Remember you only have 5 hours," Kurenai said as she hit the button on the clock. The clock hand started to tick, and Hinata instinctively took a shuriken from the blue holster around her leg, readying herself. "Do you have any more questions?'

"Do we need to give you time to hide or-" Kiba started, his question tapering off as he took a stance, readying himself for Kurenai to move. Hinata's eyes never left her sensei, who simply smiled at them.

"There's no need," she said as the wind suddenly picked up pace around her, the grass around her twirling at a rapid pace. "The real me is hiding already. This…"

Hinata's eyes widened as Kurenai's legs started to blend into the background, fading away and being replaced by pink petals. Her body morphed against the gradience, rising up to her body as more petals fell, as she watched in amusement with how taken aback they were.

"Was all a genjutsu."

Her face faded as an echo in their minds, and the wind stood still as the last petal from the top of her head fell to the ground on top of the rest. The three of them stood still, none of them knowing what to do for a split second.

Shino was the first to move, taking a step forward towards the stacks of flower petals.

"Hey, wait," Kiba started as Shino squatted down, holding one of the petals between his thumb and index finger, carefully surveying. "What are you doing?"

"Checking if this is real or not," Shino said. "It could be useful to track her down."

"Whoa, don't hog the whole thing to yourself!" Kiba exclaimed as he ran towards Shino, Akamaru barking as he ran behind Kiba.

Hinata snapped out of her faze and found control over her feet, trailing behind Shino, unsure of what to do.

"You got her scent?" Kiba asked Akamaru, who let out a bark. Hinata could see Kiba's nose move a bit as he inhaled sharply, moving his head around until he set towards east to where they were standing facing the other side of Konoha. "Alright. We got her scent. Let's go Akamaru!"

"Hold on," Shino said suddenly, making Kiba halt in his spot, and turn around quickly.

"There's no 'hold on' in this," Kiba said, crossing his arms as he frowned. "This is a test and only one of us can pass."

"That's why I said hold on," Shino continued. "There's something weird about it."

"And?" The Inuzuka asked sharply, his patience running thinner by the second. "What about it."

"Listen," Shino replied equally as fast. "It's weird because her reasoning for only passing one of us is incredibly vague. Don't you find it strange that they would go through the trouble of putting us in a teams specifically only for one of us to pass?"

Kiba grimaced, staring at Shino for moment, as if conflicted with his words. He then replied, slight hesitancy in his voice,"It...It doesn't matter who I'm with. Even if I weren't with you guys, I'm pretty sure the rules would be the same."

Hinata felt a slight pang in her chest when he said those words, the bitterness seeping through like tea through a filter. She had to grit her teeth to refrain from being too hurt.

"Besides, she said it herself," he continued as he started to turn his back towards them. "She's in charge of us. There's nothing stopping her from booting us back to the Academy. And there's no way I'm going back there."

"Kiba," Hinata tried to start, but she couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't know what to say.

An uneasy silence fell over them.

"She's headed towards Training Ground 1," Kiba suddenly said in a quiet tone, never turning back to look at them. He tilted his head down, and said "Let's go, Akamaru."

With a bark of agreement from the puppy, he sped off at full speed, towards the direction of the training ground he mentioned, the one closest to the Hokage Rock and filled with hills and forest near the wall that encompasses Konoha.

_That's one of the larger ones _, Hinata thought, as she stood there, trying to gather her thoughts. She could see from the corner of her eyes Shino looking at her, not saying anything, as if waiting for her to move.

Her gut was telling her the same thing that Shino was doubting; the reason for only one of them felt too vague, as if Kurenai wanted them to break that rule. Sure, they all have skills for tracking, but there's something more to it than that.

But no, that wouldn't make sense; she was very clear that she only wanted one. Why would she deceive them into believing a fake rule? Was Hinata thinking too hard into this?

"He's right," Hinata said when she made her decision, and she glanced up towards Shino. She looked directly at his glasses, dark enough to cover his eyes under the sun in the atmosphere, and maintained. "Even if we all work together, only one of us can pass."

"Hinata-" Shino started, but stopped abruptly. He just stared at her in silence for a moment, and Hinata couldn't tell what he was thinking, or even why she was standing there to begin with.

"I'll see you there, Shino," Hinata offered softly, and she started to run off towards the direction, focusing her chakra towards her legs to help them pick up her pace.

_I won't be a burden to myself, _ Hinata thought, a new sense of determination swelling in her stomach. _I can take care of myself. _

_Can I?_


End file.
